Niño Josele
Who is Niño Josele?
Juan José Heredia Heredia, Niño Josele, was born in 1974 in Almería, into a long dynasty of tocaores from the region. His father, Josele, also a renowned guitarist, gave him his first guitar at the age of six, marking the start of a career that would soon lead him to play alongside top-tier flamenco figures.
Career
In 1996 he won the Concurso de Jóvenes Intérpretes at the Seville Flamenco Biennial, having made his recording debut a year earlier with “Calle Ancha” (1995). Since then he has accompanied and recorded with Paco de Lucía, Pepe de Lucía, Tomatito, Duquende, Enrique Morente, Remedios Amaya, Diego El Cigala and Montse Cortés, and toured for five years alongside Paco de Lucía presenting the album “Cositas Buenas.” He has also crossed stylistic borders alongside Chick Corea, Andrés Calamaro, Joan Manuel Serrat, Lenny Kravitz, Alicia Keys and Elton John.
Style and discography
His playing, highly rhythmic and expressive, opened early on to fusion with jazz, with the influence of pianist Bill Evans as an acknowledged reference after he discovered him through Bebo Valdés. His discography includes “Calle Ancha” (1995), “El Sorbo” (2001), “Niño Josele” (2003), “Paz” (2006, a tribute to Bill Evans), “La Venta del Alma” (2009), “Española” (2009) and “El Mar de Mi Ventana” (2012), as well as a 2014 collaboration with pianist Chano Domínguez. His versatility moves comfortably between bulerías, soleares, tangos, rumbas and rondeñas.
Legacy
Niño Josele is today one of the flamenco guitarists who has most naturally built bridges toward jazz and international pop, without ever abandoning the roots of the Almería style of playing he inherited from his family.