The month of October carries a special echo in the flamenco calendar. It is a month that has seen the birth of great figures who left an indelible mark on the history of cante and toque—artists whose passion and artistry continue to resonate in clubs, stages, and hearts. From the dawn of the 20th century to the present day, we remember four figures who made flamenco their universal language.
One of them was Manuel Jiménez Martínez de Pinillos, known as Manuel Vallejo (Seville, October 15, 1891 – August 7, 1960). Vallejo was one of the most distinctive voices in Sevillian cante, an artist of immense sensitivity and impeccable technique. In 1925, he became the first Maestro Nacional del Cante Flamenco (National Master of Flamenco Singing), a title that recognized his mastery of styles as diverse as seguiriya, malagueña, and soleá. His recorded legacy still beats in the recordings he left behind—a testimony to a golden age of cante.
Also born in October was Manuel Escacena García, Niño de Escacena (Seville, October 11, 1886 – Madrid, June 10, 1928), one of the most representative voices of classical cante. With a sweet tone and exquisite pitch, Escacena was highly regarded for his command of fandango and for his participation in the earliest phonographic recordings of flamenco. Although his life was brief, his name stands among the pioneers who gave cante a modern and professional dimension.
On October 27, 1927, Manuel Soto Monje, El Sordera, was born in Jerez, the patriarch of one of the most emblematic flamenco singing dynasties. His hoarse, deeply jondo voice—pure essence of Jerez—embodied cante por seguiriyas, bulerías, and soleares with a depth that transcended generations. Closing this autumnal cycle of geniuses is José Antonio Carmona Carmona, Pepe Habichuela (Granada, October 23, 1944), a legendary guitarist who brought the toque granadino to new heights. He combined the tradition of the Habichuela family with the modernity of a creator who has accompanied flamenco’s great singers and skillfully conversed with world music.
October reminds us that flamenco is made of history and of names that remain alive in its sound. Vallejo, Niño de Escacena, El Sordera, and Pepe Habichuela represent different eras and styles, yet they share a common legacy: keeping alive the flame of cante and toque that define the art of flamenco jondo.