It was there that he met Paco de Lucía with whom he would record nine albums between 1969 and 1977. The two would tour extensively together during this period. As Paco de Lucía became more occupied with solo concert commitments, Camarón would work with one of Paco's students, Tomatito, also one of the important figures in modern flamenco guitar.
At the age of 23 Camarón married Dolores Montoya, a gypsy girl from La Línea de La Concepción who he nicknamed "La Chispa" (The Spark). At the time La Chispa was only fourteen. Shortly afterwards the couple had two children, and were eventually to have a total of four.
Many consider Camarón to be the single most popular and influential flamenco "cantaor" (singer) of the modern period. Although his work brought criticism from some traditionalists, he was one of the first to feature an electric bass in his songs. This was a turning point in the history of Flamenco music that helped distinguish Nuevo Flamenco.
All good things must come to an end though, and in 1992, José Monje Cruz died of lung cancer. It was estimated that more than 100,000 attended his funeral.
In 2005 director Jaime Chávarri brought out the biopic "Camarón" in Spain starring Óscar Jaeneda as Camarón himself and Verónica Sánchez as La Chispa.
The film, produced in consultation with Camarón's widow, was subsequently nominated for several Goya Awards.
Partial discography
with Paco de Lucía
"Al Verte las Flores Lloran" (1969)
"Cada Vez Que Nos Miramos" (1970)
"Son Tus Ojos Dos Estrellas" (1971)
"Canastera"* (1972)
"Caminito de Totana" (1973)
"Soy Caminante" (1974)
"Arte y Majestad" (1975)
"Rosa María" (1976)
"Castillo de Arena" (1977)
with Paco de Lucía & Tomatito
"Como el Agua" (1981)
"Calle Real" (1983)
"Viviré" (1984)
"Potro de Rabia y Miel" (1992)
with Tomatito
"Te lo Dice Camarón" (1986)
"Flamenco Vivo" (1987)
"Camarón Nuestro" (1994)
Other
"La Leyenda Del Tiempo" (1979)
Released as a solo album
"Soy Gitano" (1989)
Released with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, with guest appearances by Tomatito
The titles given for the first five albums with Paco de Lucía are those in popular usage, often being the titles of the first tracks. Formally, all of them are excitingly titled "El Camarón de la Isla con la colaboración especial de Paco de Lucía" with the exception of Canastera.
El caminante
Camarón de la Isla Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Si te vas a confesar
No digas nunca las ducas
Que me haces de pasar.
Tú no me des tanto que hacer
Que como coja la puerta
Yo soy aquel probe caminante
Que con su petate siempre a cuestas va
Yo voy andando camino adelante
Siempre buscando donde descansar.
Dios mío, qué mala suerte
La he tenido que dejar
Por el hablar de la gente.
Tú no me des complicaciones
Que cuando tú abres la boca
Es para pares y nones.
The lyrics to Camarón de la Isla's song El caminante tell a story of a wandering and troubled man. The first two lines of the song seem to suggest that the man is confessing his sins, but he is cautioning against revealing everything because it may cause him more trouble. The next few lines show the man pleading with someone, perhaps a lover or friend, to give him less trouble or he will leave and never return. The use of the word "probe" or poor in the line "Yo soy aquel probe caminante" further emphasizes the man's lowly and struggling status. He is always on the move, looking for a place to rest, and it's as if trouble follows him wherever he goes.
The mood of the song is sad and reflective. The man is feeling the weight of his past mistakes and the judgments of others. The use of the bulerías style, which is a type of flamenco, adds to the melancholic tone. The song is a beautiful showcase of Camarón de la Isla's amazing voice and how he can convey so much emotion through his singing. The guitar accompaniment is also exceptional, adding to the haunting quality of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Si te vas a confesar
If you are going to confess, do not speak about your doubts, as it troubles me.
No digas nunca las ducas
Never speak about your doubts.
Que me haces de pasar.
As it troubles me.
Tú no me des tanto que hacer
Do not give me too much to handle.
Que como coja la puerta
Because if I leave,
Nunca más me vas a ver.
You will never see me again.
Yo soy aquel probe caminante
I am that poor wanderer.
Que con su petate siempre a cuestas va.
Who always carries his bundle on his back.
Yo voy andando camino adelante
I am always moving forward.
Siempre buscando donde descansar.
Always searching for a place to rest.
Dios mío, qué mala suerte
My God, what bad luck
La he tenido que dejar
I had to leave her
Por el hablar de la gente.
Because of people's gossip.
Tú no me des complicaciones
Do not make things more complicated for me.
Que cuando tú abres la boca
Because every time you speak
Es para pares y nones.
It is either good or bad news.
Contributed by Sophia G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Fabriciano Mangas Agustín
¡Que poderío! Que arte y que sabor a "cante antiguo" el que imprimen a estas bulerias Camarón y Paco de Lucía. Dios los tenga en su gloria.
Miguel Mendoza
Y Ramón de Algeciras hermano de Paco otro pedazo de guitarrista
miguel segura garcia
Se me cae el Alma al suelo cuando le escucho no hay palablas
Julio Moreno
De paco de lucia ke tenemos ke decir?? No hay palabras pa descrivir a este grande el genio de los genios y lo bas bonito ke paco no tubo escuela estodo sacao de el no saldran otros flamencos como estas dos figuras del flamenco rebulucionaron el flamenco cuando salieron , Dios os tengan en la santa gloria ke os mereceis lo mejor seguro ke aya en los cielos tan bien estais triunfando grandes artistas
Julio Moreno
Camaronnnnnnnnn siempre as sio un grande y segiras siendo asi pasaran siglos y siglos revulucionastes el flamenco con estos cantes gitanos grande CAMRONNNNNN gitaniyo rubio
David Gomez
👏Olee " CAMARÓN " Olee👏
Jose Camino Serrano
Creo que está es la bulería definitiva
KETAMA
cambio el tango argentino por el flamenco con los ojos cerrados.
Alvaro Pulido
El tango flamenco es solo un pequeño matiz y esencia en el Flamenco, el tango argentino es en sí un todo, no tiene comparación siquiera, no obstante esto es una bulería.
Julio Moreno
Sasaaaaaaaa esto es pa partise la camisa ke emocion tan grande y pena ala vez porke te bamos perdio camaronnnnnnnnnnn