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The flamenco world is in mourning following the death of guitarist Pepe Habichuela, one of the genre’s leading figures, who died on Tuesday in Madrid, the city where he had lived for decades. His passing marks the loss of a pivotal musician for understanding the evolution of the flamenco guitar, whose influence extended over more than 60 years of his career.
The artist, born in Granada in 1944 as José Antonio Carmona Carmona, belonged to the emblematic Habichuela family, one of the most influential dynasties in the history of flamenco. He was also the father of Josemi Carmona, guitarist and founding member of the group Ketama.
In recent years, Habichuela had scaled back his work because of an illness that forced him to leave the stage in the summer of 2024. His career took a decisive turn in 1964, when he moved to Madrid to join his brother Juan, beginning a period that established him as one of the most sought-after guitarists on the flamenco scene.
Over the course of his career he accompanied some of the most important voices in cante and left an indelible mark through his collaboration with Enrique Morente. Albums such as ‘Homenaje a Don Antonio Chacón’ and ‘Despegando’, released in 1977, are regarded as essential to the renewal of flamenco and the opening up of the genre to new musical approaches.
His legacy was recognised with some of the country’s highest cultural honours. Among them are the Gold Medal of Merit in the Fine Arts and the Grand Cross of the Civil Order of Alfonso X the Wise, awarded this year in recognition of his contribution to Spanish culture.
Tributes to a flamenco legend
Messages of condolence were quick to arrive once news of the guitarist’s death became known. The Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, paid tribute to the artist with a message posted on the social network X: “Pepe Habichuela’s guitar falls silent, but his music will go on sounding wherever flamenco continues to tell us who we are. Thank you for a life devoted to art and for enriching our cultural heritage. My thoughts are with his family and loved ones”.
