Manolo Sanlúcar

Who is Manolo Sanlúcar?

Manolo Sanlúcar is a flamenco composer and guitarist born in Sanlúcar de Barrameda in 1943. He is considered one of the most important Spanish composers of present times, and together with Paco de Lucía, Tomatito, and Vicente Amigo, one of the main figures in the evolution of the flamenco guitar in recent years.

His first teacher was his father, Isidro Sanlúcar, a baker and old-style guitarist, who frequently came home with people who were fond of cante and playing; from his childhood he was exceptionally skilled to follow in his steps. His brothers also decided on the same vocation, among them Isidro.

He soon began to research, aware that the guitar had infinite possibilities that had hardly been explored. The most ambitious of his contributions to the art has been his constant striving to integrate flamenco in symphonic music. Several works of the greatest interest which have placed his name among the great composers of our time include: Fantasía para guitarra y orquesta, Trebujena, Medea and Soleá, showing his attempts to merge his primary focus in music, and which toured the world as a ballet; Tauromagia or Aljibe. Some of them were fortunately recorded.