Moraíto

Spanish guitarist Moraito plays pure, unadulterated flamenco, free of the new age influences that have crept into the most popular (at least on American shores) recent exponents of the style. Moraito was born Manuel Moreno Junquera in 1956 in the Santiago district of Jerez de la Frontera, a town in the Andalusian region; his family was already renowned for its musical ability, and his uncle Manuel Morao was one of the finest flamenco guitarists the town had ever produced. Naturally, Moraito began following in his footsteps at a young age, making his public performance debut at age 11 at a festival helmed by his uncle. After winning a flamenco guitar competition, the teenaged Moraito (also known affectionately as Moraito Chico) was invited to join his first professional band; he continued playing with various groups and on his own, his career interrupted only by a stint in the military. In 1992, Moraito released his first album, Morao y Oro, which was greeted with high praise in the flamenco community; it was eventually issued in the U.S. in 1995. It took until 1999 for the follow-up, Morao, Morao, to appear, but it too was met with a positive response. ~ Steve Huey