Valderrama

The son of flamenco-folk legend Juanito Valderrama and copla singer Dolores Abril, Spanish vocalist Valderrama followed in the footsteps of his famous parents while simultaneously branching out into the world of film, TV, and literature. Born Juan Antonio Valderrama Abril in Madrid, in 1972, he moved to Seville at the age of ten, and after studying journalism at university, became a news director for a local TV station. However, he never left his musical heritage far behind, and after recording a bunch of demos, he landed a deal with Sony and began work on his 2002 debut album, La Memoria del Agua with the likes of Ana Belén, Joaquín Sabina, and Vicente Amigo, as well as his father. Keen to make his own mark in the industry, he followed up 2004's pop-oriented Alfileres with an appearance in Jose Luis Garcia Sanchez's film Franky Banderas, set up his own record label, Kompetencia Records, and utilized his journalistic skills by working with RNE reporter Nieves Herrero and penning a biography of '70s flamenco-rhumba outfit Los Chichos, with his wife Rosa Pena. After a four-year absence from the music scene, he returned with two albums in quick succession, 2008's Ilusion and 2009's Middle Eastern-inspired Moderna Tradición, and produced a flamenco show entitled Maestros, which he toured around many of his homeland's festivals. In 2011, he released his fifth and most traditional Spanish album, Sonidos Blancos. ~ Jon O'Brien, Rovi