JOSÉ CARLOS GÓMEZ

José Carlos Gómez, flamenco guitar, composer, producer. Winner of the 2nd prize “SGAE Paco de Lucía 2022”. José Carlos Gómez is born in Algeciras (Cádiz) on 16 June 1972. At age 5 he asks his parents for a flamenco guitar as a Christmas present after having seen Paco de Lucía on television and having fallen in love with its sound at age 3.

At 7 years of age he begins to receive his first lessons with Flores el Gaditano and two years later with the guitarist Salvador Andrades, who teaches him the forms and sounds of the Algeciras school of guitar created by Don Antonio Sanchez Pecino, father of the LLuīas who had been Salvador’s teacher.

By age 11 he began giving his first concerts as a soloist playing pieces by Paco de Lucía and some of his own first compositions.

With Andrés Rodríguez he becomes a member of the Cuadro Flamenco Solea, essential in his learning to play with dancers and singers, giving him the foundations for his later departure to Madrid.

During these years he meets Paco Narváez who has a huge impact on José Carlos as a guitarist, spending long hours developing the pieces for his CDs and perfecting his technique, sound and knowledge of harmony as for the flamenco guitar.

At only 16 years of age he has become a renowned guitarist in the area, accompanying singers such as Canela de San Roque or Antonio Madreles throughout Andalucía and he begins his first trips abroad giving his first recitals in cities like Paris or London being very well received by audiences.

The following year, with Pepe de Lucía, he begins his first discographic collaborations and accompanies the young singer ‘Potito’ in his first concerts and TV performances. Of these concerts it is worth mentioning two which José Carlos is particularly fond of: the first, sharing a stage with Moraito Chico who would go on to say “That kid really plays Paco’s stuff well” and the second with Tomatito, with whom he would spend hours playing even in airports: an absolute dream for a guitarist of his age.

Undisputed winner in the First competition for guitar “Ramón de Algeciras” in Getafe at only 17 years old.
Thanks to José María Bander, he has the opportunity to leave for Madrid to accompany Merche Esmeralda in the Veranos De la Villa with Luis Habichuella, Ramon el Portugués and Talegon de Córdoba.

The year after the same ‘bailaora’ asks him to become part of the Ballet Región de Murcia as first guitarist. In 1991 he enters the Ballet Nacional de España with guitarists Luis Habichuela and José María Bandera, where he would stay until 1997, playing in the most important theatres around the world. His name could now be read on the programs of concerts as composer of some of the pieces of the repertoire of said ballet.

After a two-year break due to a kidney transplant, he continues his career in 1999 when he begins to collaborate as accompanying guitarist, on CDs and composing pieces for Duquende, Niña Pastora, Marina Heredia, El Pele, La Tana, La Susi, Armando Manzanero, Alejandro Sanz, Serrat, Sara Baras and a long etc…

It is worth mentioning the collaboration on the album Cañailla by Niña Pastori, produced by Alejandro Sanz, Josemi Carmona and Emanuelle Ruffinengo for which he composes and plays the alegrias “Sobre la Arena” and the tangos “Manolillo el Canastero”. The CD is a great sales success and gains great recognition in the flamenco world.

Thanks to being part of this album he is acclaimed by many artists and producers both as a guitarist and as a composer for varying discographic projects such as the CD of duets by the Mexican artist Armando Manzanero, in which he meets the great producer Nacho Mañó, who will go on to have a strong influence on José Carlos for the way in which he works on sound and ambience in his musical productions.

The soundtrack of the film “Sin Vergüenza” by Joaquín Oristrell and part of the repertoire of the shows “Sabores” and “Carmen” by the bailaora Sara Baras are some of the works José Carlos takes part in in the following years, continuing to grow, finding himself in a particularly creative time in his career.