José Antonio Rodríguez
Who is José Antonio Rodríguez?
José Antonio Rodríguez was born on 28 March 1964 in Córdoba. A non-gitano with classical training, he stood out from a young age: in 1981 he won first prize for concert guitar at the Festival de Cante de las Minas, and the following year first prize at the Concurso Nacional de Jerez. In 1984 he earned his flamenco guitar teaching diploma at the Conservatorio Superior de Córdoba, becoming, at just twenty, the youngest person in Spain to achieve it.
Career
In 1986 he was awarded the Premio Nacional Ramón Montoya and joined the Live Music Now foundation. From there he embarked on an intense career as a composer for dance and orchestra: in 1987 he premiered “Guajira para Guitarra Flamenca y Orquesta,” in 1988 he wrote the music for “Tiempo de Amor y Muerte,” choreographed by Mario Maya, in 1990 he presented “Viento de Libertad” with orchestration by Joan Albert Amargós, and in 1992 he composed and directed “Tango” for the Bienal de Sevilla, as well as taking part in “Sevilla es así” for Expo’92. In 1994 he co-wrote “Réquiem” with Amargós for the Ballet Andaluz, in 1997 he composed “El Jaleo” for the Centro Andaluz de Danza with choreography by María Pagés, and in 2001 he premiered “El Guitarrista Azul,” a symphonic work in four movements with the Orquesta de Córdoba.
Throughout his career he has played and recorded alongside Paco de Lucía, Manolo Sanlúcar, Astor Piazzolla, Chick Corea, John McLaughlin, Al Di Meola, Camarón, Esperanza Fernández, Carmen Linares and Niña Pastori, among many other international artists, and in 2008 he received the Flamenco Hoy award for best accompaniment album and best producer for Esperanza Fernández’s “Recuerdos.” Since 2001 he has taught at the courses run by Manolo Sanlúcar in Córdoba, considered among the most demanding in Spain.
Style and discography
His recordings include “Calahorra,” “Callejón de las Flores,” “Manhattan de la Frontera” (1998) and “Vals Flamenco.” He has also worked in film, contributing to the soundtrack of “La Lola se va a los Puertos” (1993) and appearing in Carlos Saura’s “Flamenco” (1995). His international career has taken him to venues such as the Athens Concert Hall, the Savoy Theatre in Helsinki and the Centro Nacional de las Artes in Mexico.
Legacy
José Antonio Rodríguez is today a benchmark of contemporary Cordoban toque, both for his work as a concert soloist and orchestral composer and for his accompaniment alongside some of the most important flamenco voices of recent decades.