Diego El Cigala: Obras Maestras

Diego El Cigala: Obras Maestras

Singing in flamenco enthusiast clubs in Madrid’s El Rastro district came first, then Diego was hired to accompany many of flamenco’s most famous dancers. With the guitarist Antón Jiménez backing him, Diego went “in front” – flamenco slang for having your own career – in 1994. A steady stream of hit albums made him famous in the flamenco community, while the 2004 release, Lágrimas Negras, with Cuban jazz pianist Bebo Valdés, brought international acclaim, with both The New York Times and BBC Radio fawning over it. Two years later, his Sony BMG release, Picasso en Mis Ojos, would win the 2006 Latin Grammy for Best Flamenco Album. Given the album’s success, his label followed it with a hits comp simply titled Cigala in 2008. Meanwhile, he was in studios in Spain and Cuba with all-star musicians from both countries, revisioning boleros, ballads, and tangos. Dos Lágrimas was issued in 2009 and featured three charting singles in “Dos Gardenias,” “Maria de la O,” and “Historia de un Amor.”