Tomatito
Who is Tomatito?
José Fernández Torres, known as Tomatito, was born in Almería in 1958 into a family of guitarists: his father was Tomate and his grandfather Miguel Tomate, while his uncle Niño Miguel was regarded as a legendary player. He grew up surrounded by flamenco guitars, listening from childhood to his father and grandfather play, which naturally shaped his calling.
Career
At twelve he moved to Málaga, where he began his professional career performing at tablaos such as the Taberna Gitana, the place where he met Camarón de la Isla. That meeting completely changed the course of his career: Camarón took him on as his accompanist and, for around fifteen years, the two formed one of the most iconic artistic pairings in flamenco, with Tomatito himself acknowledging in various interviews how much he owed to that collaboration. He also took part in the Giraldillo del Toque at the III Bienal de Arte Flamenco de Sevilla (1984) and at festivals such as the Cumbre Flamenca de Madrid (1985) and the V Festival de Jazz de Madrid (1986).
Style and discography
He masters thumb technique and rasgueado with precision, moves comfortably between different guitar tunings, and handles soleá, tangos, bulerías and other traditional forms with equal skill; one critic summed it up by saying that “many people play flamenco, but not with the clarity and force” he brings to it. With Camarón he won a Grammy for best flamenco album for “París 1987”, and as a solo artist he won a Latin Grammy together with pianist Michel Camilo for the album “Spain” (2000); he has also collaborated with Diego El Cigala and Romeo Santos, recorded the “Sonata Suite” with the Orquesta Nacional de España, and co-composed the soundtrack for the film “Vengo” (2001), for which he received a César award.
Legacy
He remains active, and among his most recent projects is precisely that suite for guitar and orchestra with the Orquesta Nacional de España, a continuation of a career that has established him as one of the great living flamenco guitarists and as the direct heir to the legacy of Camarón de la Isla.