Esperanza Fernández

She is currently one of the main voices of flamenco singing; with great versatility when it comes to lending her voice to very different musical aesthetics.

Names like Yehudi Menuhin, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, Mauricio Sotelo, Edmon Colomer, Rosa Torres Pardo, Angel Gil Ordoñez, Myriam Makeba, Enrique Morente, Noa, Edward Simmons, Juan de Udaeta, Rafael Riqueni, Kiko Veneno, José Miguel Évora and formations such as Trío Accanto, Perpectives Ensemble (NYC), Lim (Madrid), Orchestra National of Spain, Orchestra of Barcelona and National of Catalonia, Philharmonic Orchestra of Malaga, Young Orchestra of Andalusia, The Wesleyan Ensemble of the Americas, Galonan Esperanza Fernández career.

Her artistic diversity has led her to perform concerts in different formations such as duos, trios, quartets, band, jazz, big-band, chamber orchestra and symphony, etc …

Her international projection has reached places like New York, Paris, Bergen, Lisbon, Tampere, Brasilia, Marrakech, Cologne, Brussels, Rome, Toulouse, Connecticut, Thessaloniki, Athens, Jerusalem, etc …

Gitana (Gipsy) born in the neighborhood of Triana that has received the flamenco heritage in a family of important singers, guitarists and dancers.

She carries flamenco in his veins, endowed with privileged conditions to sing, from her throat comes a delicate and precious voice that puts at the service of her talent.

Esperanza Fernández is one of the best voices of flamenco today, who has already found in her one of her unquestionable figures.

She has a deep knowledge of traditional flamenco, his voice does not tremble, nor the desire to face new challenges, however complicated they may seem.

Her impressive sense of compás, her harmony and temperament, a voice rich in nuances and great elegance allow her to break through the most traditional paths of flamenco as in other experiences close to fusion, musical miscegenation and the classical world performing “La Brief Life “,” El Amor Brujo “,” Seven Spanish Songs “and participating in the recovery of the opera” Margot “by Joaquín Turina (Teatro de la Maestranza de Sevilla 1999).

During her career Esperanza has been awarded the Andalucía Joven de Flamenco Prize awarded by the Ministry of Culture of the Junta de Andalucía

Chosen by the Author Foundation (SGAE) to represent Spain in Pop Komm ’97 held in Cologne.

Her second CD “Recuerdos” unanimously wins the “El Público” award from Canal Sur television and the “Flamenco Hoy” award for the best 2007 flamenco album granted by a vote of the National Flamenco Critic (54 specialists from Spanish newspapers) .

With this album she was nominated to the Latin Grammys as the best flamenco record.

That same year, the XV Bienal de Flamenco de Sevilla awarded her the “Giraldillo del cante” as the best example of the interpretation of flamenco forms both in her traditional meaning and in her new languages.

She also has the Clara Campoamor Prize.

In 2009 she receives the Al Andalus awards and the XII Gitano Andaluz.

Her hometown awarded her with the prestigious MEDAL DE SEVILLA this 2019.

The Foundation Institute of Gypsy Culture, grants the “Awards of Gypsy Culture April 8” in 2015.

With her third album, under the direction of David Peña Dorantes “My voice in your word”, with the poems of the Nobel Prize José Saramago; she has made many successes in her tour of Spain and Europe.

She made the documentary film “Playing Lecuona” a homage to Maestro Lecuona, with important musicians of the likes of Omara Portuondo, Ana Belén, Raimundo Amador, Chucho Valdés, Michel Camilo and Gonzalo Rubalcaba.

Her shows “De lo Jondo y verdadero” and “Oh Vida!” they reap great successes worldwide.

Currently she is immersed in different projects that will soon be released.

Biography

Esperanza Fernández Vargas was born in Seville in 1966. This cantaora entered the flamenco world listening to her father, also flamenco singer from Triana Curro Fernández. Her brother Paco is a guitarist and Joselito is a flamenco dancer, so her entire family is professionally dedicated to the genre. In her beginnings she chose the dance as a form of expression, receiving classes from Pepe Ríos and Manolo Marín. But her devotion to Lole Montoya prompted her to excel in singing. In 1975 together with her brothers, she formed the group La Pandilla Gitana, and it meant her professional debut. She worked also on the show "Amargo" by Mario Maya. In 1994 she was awarded the Andalucía Joven de Cultura Prize. She is an open-minded singer. She knows the flamenco orthodoxy perfectly, but at the same time she searches for other music styles such as jazz, with whose musicians she collaborates regularly.

Discography

1995 El Amor Brujo - Esperanza Fernández with the Young Orchestra of Andalusia, Conductor: Juan Udaeta

1996 El Amor Brujo vers. 1915 - Barcelona and National Symphony Orchestra of Catalonia. Conductor: Edmon Colomer

1996 Camarón - Anthology (La Primavera (Rumba), Esperanza Fernández track 3-17) (3xCD, Comp) Mercury 532 929-2

1998 Les Voix de la Paix / Voices for Peace - Various - Por aquí te quiero ver (Esperanza Fernández) (CD, Album) Auvidis Chorus, The International Yehudi Menuhin Foundation AC 6461

2001 La Vida Breve with Orchestra and Choir of the Teatro Lírico di Cagliari (2001) Conductor: Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos

2001 Manuel de Falla - El Amor Brujo with the National Orchestra of Spain Conductor: Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, Voice: Esperanza Fernández, piano: Josep Colom

2001 Esperanza Fernández (CD, Álbum) BMG Ariola Spain 74321 86241 2

2002 Pasajes / Passages (Jazz Viene del Sur) - Perico Sambeat, Jeanne Lee, Gerardo Núñez, Paolo Fresu, Esperanza Fernández, Julián Argüelles, Carlos Martín, George Colligan, Manuel Soler, Fareed Haque, Javier Colina, Marc Miralta (CD, Álbum) RESCD135 resistor

2006 Sur - Dorantes / Di, di, Ana (Esperanza Fernández)

2007 Recuerdos - Esperanza Fernández (CD, Álbum) Discmedi COB 4350-02, DL: B 22087-2007. Code Bars: 8424295043504

2013 Recuerdos. Reissue of the first work of Esperanza Fernández in a luxury digipack as a small vinyl. Discmedi DM 5048 02

2013 Mi voz en tu palabra - Canta a Saramago (CD, Álbum) Discmedi Blau DM 5069-02

More information

Awards and prizes:

1994 Award Andalucía Joven Flamenco.

2006 Award Clara Campoamor XII Edition.

2007 Award Mejor Disco Flamenco "Recuerdos"

2007 Award from the TV programme "El Público" Canal Sur, unanimously, to his second CD "Recuerdos".

2007 3 Awards "Flamenco Hoy", from the National Flamenco Critic Association, IX edition "Recuerdos". Awards: as Best Cante Album, Best Producer and Best Accompaniment Guitar.

2008 Giraldillo del Cante by the XV Seville Flamenco Biennial, as the best exponent of interpretation of flamenco forms both in the traditional meaning and in the new languages.

2009 Award Al Andalus.

2009 Award Gitano Andaluz XII edition.

2011 Medal of the City of Seville.

2015 Gypsy Culture Awards by Gypsy Culture Institute Foundation April 8, 2015.