Chiquetete

Antonio José Cortés Pantoja, better known by his stage name Chiquetete, was a Spanish flamenco singer, born on July 26, 1948, in Algeciras, Andalusia. He hailed from a Romani family and moved to Seville at the age of 8. Chiquetete began his career at the age of 12, joining the group Los Algecireños with Manuel Molina Jiménez and Manolo Domínguez el Rubio. He took his artistic name from his uncle, Juan Pantoja Cortés, linking him to a rich flamenco legacy. Chiquetete's early career was marked by his win of the Mairena del Alcor Prize in 1976, leading to his solo debut with the 1979 LP Triana Despierta, collaborating with notable artists Paco Cepero and Enrique de Melchor. Though he started as a flamenco cantaor, in 1980, his album Altozano marked a shift towards romantic ballads with flamenco elements. Over the next few years, Chiquetete reached the peak of his popularity with the albums Aprende a Soñar (1982), Ser Amante (1983), and Eres Mia (1984), all of which received gold certification in Spain. He followed up in 1988 with the release of the album Sevilla Sin Tu Amor, which featured the hit single "A la Puerta de Toledo." Despite facing a decline in popularity in the 1990s, he attempted a comeback in 2004 with the album Como la Marea, produced by his son Fran Cortés. His next LP, La Magia de una Voz, came out thirteen years later. This would be his last studio outing since Chiquetete's enduring influence in the flamenco and romantic ballad genres was cut short when he passed away on December 16, 2018, in Seville, due to heart failure following a hip operation.

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