The Jerez singer José Mercé, 71, has recalled in an interview how he arrived in the capital at just 13 years old. In the 70s, he recounts, the Madrid tablaos brought together figures like Manolo Caracol or Mairena.
José Mercé, one of the most emblematic voices of contemporary flamenco, has looked back to remember his first steps in Madrid. Born in Jerez de la Frontera in 1955, the singer arrived in the capital at just 13, at a time when the city was the epicentre of flamenco art in Spain.
In an interview with RTVE's programme 'Las tres puertas', hosted by María Casado, Mercé has elaborated on those youthful years. "When I arrived in Madrid in the 70s, all the great artists of the flamenco world were in the Madrid tablaos: Manolo Caracol, Mairena, Valderrama..." the artist recalled.
The singer emphasised the exceptional concentration of talent that existed in these venues at the time. "Each tablao had an immeasurable cast of artists. Today, you couldn't pay for that in any festival or concert," he nostalgically stated.
Mercé belongs to a family lineage with a deep flamenco tradition. He began singing as a child at the Peña Flamenca La Plazuela in Jerez, where he took his first steps in singing. But it was Madrid, with its tablaos, that forged his career.
The artist fondly recalled his arrival at Torres Bermejas, one of the most iconic tablaos in the capital. "I was lucky, really. I remember arriving at Torres Bermejas, I was 13 years old and my uncle was the one who signed for me, because I couldn't sign anything," he explained.
According to his account, the owner of the venue, Don Felipe, was impressed when he heard him sing. "He went crazy when he heard me sing," Mercé said. The negotiation of his first salary was a key moment: at that time, established singers earned between 250 and 350 pesetas per night, but his uncle managed to secure a better deal.
"My uncle said to him: 'We'll give him five hundred pesetas, Don Felipe'. And he said: 'Done, Manuel'" the singer recalled with laughter. Upon leaving the venue, his uncle realised he might have been too cautious, but the contract was signed.
Mercé highlighted that Madrid was then "our own Hollywood", a magnet for artists from all over Spain. The capital offered a unique stage where flamenco experienced its golden age in the tablaos, true schools of singing, guitar, and dance.
The Jerez singer, who at 71 is still active, has witnessed the evolution of flamenco from those days to the present. His career, spanning over six decades, has made him a reference for several generations of enthusiasts.
The interview served to highlight the role of the Madrid tablaos in the history of flamenco. Places like Torres Bermejas, El Corral de la Morería, or Las Carboneras were for decades the natural habitat of the great masters of singing.
For flamenco lovers in the Community of Madrid, Mercé's words are a reminder of the cultural richness that the capital housed. Although many of those historic tablaos have disappeared or changed ownership, their legacy endures in the memory of artists and fans.
José Mercé, who has recorded anthological albums like 'Del amanecer' or 'Aire', continues to take flamenco around the world. But his heart, as he has confessed, remains tied to those years when a boy from Jerez arrived in Madrid and found his destiny in the tablaos.
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