El Cabrero — Ogíjares Flamenco Singing Festival, 2016

Filmed in September 2016, this recording presents José Domínguez, known as “El Cabrero,” headlining the 37th Ogíjares Flamenco Singing Festival, near Granada. A cantaor from Aznalcóllar, a shepherd by trade — hence his nickname — and a figure as respected as he is singular in flamenco since the 1970s, El Cabrero is known for his rough voice, his committed cante and his independence. On this Andalusian stage, accompanied on guitar in the purest tradition, he moves through the palos of flamenco — deep laments and outspoken coplas — in an art where the sincerity of emotion outweighs effect. This filmed live concert documents a village festival evening, the typical setting in which cante jondo is passed on, far from the grand halls. For flamenco lovers, this 2016 performance offers a valuable record of an artist true to himself, whose gravelly voice and inhabited phrasing embody a certain idea of popular, defiant flamenco rooted in Andalusian soil.