The exploration of the universe of the accompaniment guitar remains, even today, one of the less traveled territories in the vast world. flamenco. Perhaps because it is complex, perhaps because of a cultural habit that relegates its prominence, this art of always remaining in the background—and yet sustaining everything—has received less attention than it deserves. However, books, articles, and monographs on great guitarists have been published, highlighting their role as accompanists as a natural part of a prodigious career. Other works have sought to exclusively rescue the memory of a life dedicated to this noble art, such as the recent volume that Jose Manuel Gamboa dedicates to Pepe Habichuela (2025) or the one that JJosé Manuel Suárez Japan, former rector of the UNIA, consecrated Manuel Morao (2014). However, issues related to prestige, economy or subalternity have rarely been assessed in the context ofcante to this field.
In 2005, driven by structural disdain towards the figure of the accompanying guitarist—disdain that was rooted both in the world of production and in the strictly artistic—we published an article in the magazine The olive which was intended to shed light on these shadows. We then pointed out how, In many posters, the guitarist's name was conspicuous by its absence, while the cante or the dance took up all the space, feeding a star system and a hierarchy that have not historically been sustained by artistic reality. We also denounced the blatant inequality of fees: a distribution without equity or qualitative logic, guided more by speculation and custom than by justice, and which placed the guitar alongside the pariahs of flamenco, often receiving only a minimal amount compared to the salary of the hiring figure.
Two decades later, the situation has changed in essential ways, but to what extent does a certain discriminatory bias persist? There is one area, however, that can be considered almost obsolete: that of the tablaos. In 2005, it was a rarity for a business to flamenco register their workers. For decades, in Seville, Malaga, Granada, Madrid, and Barcelona—with honorable exceptions—people worked without social security, burning their voices, feet, and hands for amounts that were completely out of proportion to their efforts and nowhere near what was stipulated in any collective bargaining agreement.
Today, almost all tablao artists are registered. Salaries, in some cases, have increased four or five times over their previous levels, and general conditions have improved significantly compared to twenty years ago. However, this achievement has not come about so much from the organized struggle of the affected group—scarce or very isolated, perhaps due to fear of reprisals from certain “bosses” who exercised vile and unpunished caciquismo for decades—as from pressure from Labor and Social Security inspections, an arm of the Administration that has been closing the circle.
We bring this economic note here to bring it down to the ground at hand: the accompanying touchTablaos have seen a clear improvement… but what about festivals, certain booking agencies, and specific performances? Does the huge gap in fees persist? Is the accompaniment guitarist still relegated? Is there a noticeable gap that undervalues the accompaniment guitarist compared to his peers?
The research we conducted two decades ago came up against a barrier: the caution—or silence—of the guitarists themselves outside of private circles. However, in 2005 we based our conclusions on about fifty interviews with guitarists ―and we emphasize the masculine because at that time it was still a very masculinized territory, although we already had the strong presence of Antonia Jiménez, Bettina Flater and Celia Morales―. This new study from 2025 draws on a similar number of testimonies, diverse enough in geographic origin and style to provide compelling conclusions.
"The accompanying guitar is much more than a mere accompaniment, unlike other types of music where guitars are more symbolic. It's the true conductor of a recital or performance, setting the course and sustaining the invisible structure that keeps it going."
Juan Habichuela and the irony of (non)guilt
Juan Habichuela awaited us in the lobby of the Hotel Carmen in Granada on a bright summer morning in 2006. The legendary guitarist was resting in the middle of an immense sofa illuminated by the persistent light provided by a high skylight and surrounded by a host of admirers who had traveled from Malaga to escort him, almost under a canopy, during his stay in the city of the Alhambra. Standing out among the group, for his loquacity and for acting as a host to the rest, was the now deceased Alfonso Queipo.
The interview, which we tried to conduct calmly, was interrupted time and again by the enthusiastic interventions of those accompanying us who incessantly invoked the “most holy purity” of the gypsy, the “disembodied reason” of Mairena and other similar proclamations. Paradoxically, These nonsense—of a racist and anachronistic nature— They usually come from non-Gypsy lips and function as a conditioned reflex for the rest.
The patriarch of the Habichuela house, still with his memory intact (soon after he would begin to suffer from it), gave us a wealth of hilarious anecdotes together with Camarón and Paco de Lucía, Fosforito, Mairena or CaracolEvoking the latter, and after casting a meaningful glance at the audience, he confessed with solemn frankness that accompanying him fulfilled him more because he "touched him" more than other singers. Those words made his friends look at each other, believing they could discern a tacit comparison with Mairena, and they applauded, full of complicity, while squirming with pleasure in their seats.
At that moment, anticipating that the expressions would reach their zenith, I asked him the question:
—But, maestro, whatever happens on stage, It's always the guitarist's fault, right?
Juan Habichuela then burst into a hearty laugh, broke the circle of complicity, and came toward me with open arms. The answer was implicit in the hug that dispelled any doubt. Because the Albaicín maestro, even as an established musician, had suffered unspeakably alongside figures as dazzling artistically as they were superb personally, who didn't hesitate to place the full weight of blame for their own failings on the guitarist.
An outline of the qualities of tocaoras
With this anecdote, we inevitably return to the same conclusions we outlined back in 2005: the accompanying guitar—and it's worth clarifying that we're talking about artists of undeniable competence—is much more than a mere accompaniment, unlike other types of music where guitars are more symbolic. It's the true conductor of a recital or performance, the one that sets the course and sustains the invisible structure that keeps it going. The guitarist is a profound connoisseur of the instrument's many techniques and a channeler of its infinite aromas, airs, flavors and sounds. that inhabit the rich stylistic heritage of the flamenco.
He is a thorough explorer of the corners of each cante, this knowledge already adds a prolific handling of the different schools, of the diverse ways of approaching each palo according to the feelings and sensibilities of the person who interprets it, molding his touch to the changing demands of each moment without ever betraying his own essence, his unbeatable personality. It is the creator of harmonies and emotional support, the accumulator of tensions and ultimately responsible for the flow of cante and the dance flows naturally. It is, if I may use a metaphor, the Ionic column that supports the sacred book where the bishop, wearing heels, officiates the rite, that sacred communion of palmas, cheers, harmonies, dance and canteyes, that is the flamenco same.
In dance, the guitar is a master of the infinite intricacies that it adds to the music, possessing a prodigious memory and a capacity for rehearsal that it can never evade, for the success of the performance depends on this factor. When the dancer stops or doubles the rhythm, the guitar maintains the base imperturbably. When the singer resorts to silence, the guitar introduces a falseta. When he says a cante, the guitar accompanies, picks up, corrects the rhythm, makes up for out-of-tune issues, shines, exalts, adorns... and so on, always. There's no rest possible in the profession of accompaniment. He's the Sancho Panza who escorts the knight-errant, the one who brings his feet back to earth to ground the fantasies of the one who levitates with his off-key discord and outdated syncopations. "We're obliged to straighten out the one who's off-key and make up for the one who's off-key," the guitarist confided. Paco Cortes after receiving the award for best companion of the Festival of Cante from the Mines of La Unión 2025.
This accumulation of attributes is crowned with an innate musical genius, polished and ennobled by time, discipline and that essential solitude that they have evoked, with the depth of someone who knows its price, Paco de Lucia, Manolo Sanlucar and how many top guitarists have spoken in books and interviews about their most intimate universe.
The guitarist is a creature forged through countless hours of seclusion and contemplation, in quiet duels with technique, in a silent struggle against seemingly immovable limits. He or she has endured countless frustrations and celebrated, like someone treasuring a divine gift, each small triumph that his or her efforts gradually granted.
That first solitude, fertile and demanding, is later transformed into the vigil of the peña, in that university without classrooms where the wise meet, in evenings where women and men repeat the same cantes with liturgical devotion, as if the knife of profound truth were sharpened with each repetition. And there the miracle begins to work: the moment when the guitar gives itself completely, launches its challenge to the music, extends a mantle, covers all styles and extracts from the root of the complain that juice that he will keep for himself, that essence that will accompany you throughout your life.
Dear readers, please choose the name that best suits what is described, because we are not dealing here with abstractions, but with people who have fulfilled their profession with extraordinary artistic dignity.
Having established this portico of names and memory, it is time to render accounts and present the conclusions of the field analysis, as a sociological essay that illuminates, with the rigor it deserves, how “times have changed” for the accompanying guitar.
"It is, if I may use a metaphor, the Ionic column that supports the sacred book where the bishop, wearing heels, officiates the rite, that sacred communion of palmas, cheers, harmonies, dance and canteyes, that is the flamenco same"
The backing guitar has spoken
As we have already written above, the survey has been carried out fifty guitarists flamencos, among which are regular guitarists of leading figures of the cante and dance on the international scene; performers with a smaller following, linked to club circles or with limited presence at festivals; young people striving to make their mark; and veterans on the verge of retirement; female guitarists, flamenco guitar graduates, and tablao regulars. The goal: to provide a comprehensive overview that encompasses all the nuances and realities surrounding the practice of accompaniment.
It is worth emphasizing, although it goes without saying, that the objective of this article is not to sow discord or sterile controversy, but to take the pulse of the accompanying guitar and raise an old and very legitimate debate: that of salary increases where appropriate. In a world governed by justice and equity—as this writer understands it—The guitar should receive a higher economic consideration than it still has today.But let's see what the protagonists think.
In response to the following question: “On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being very little and 10 being a lot, to what extent do you think the accompaniment guitar has enjoyed prestige throughout the history of the flamenco?” The average of the answers was 6,14, being striking how veteran guitarists have scored an average of 4, and the youngest ones around 7. That is, Young people perceive their age as more inclined to recognize the accompanying touch, while veterans who knew the historical guitarists disagree. Regarding the prestige of accompaniment guitar today, the opposite trend is striking: young people consider accompaniment playing less highly valued today, while veterans rate it more highly. A curious fact from which we can draw conclusions.
The following question produces an affirmative response from all respondents when asked If your name has been omitted from posters where only the singer or dancer has been announced who hired their services. And on a scale of 1 to 10, most admit that it still happens with some frequency, hovering around a 6 on average, although this trend has decreased over time, as we have been able to verify from the voices of those involved. This is one of the issues where the bias or disdain that still exists today toward the accompaniment guitar is most clearly evident.
The fourth question read as follows: “20 years ago, most of the tablaos or venues where a program of flamenco daily They did not insure their workers with Social SecurityHow often do you think this pattern continues to repeat itself? Rate it from 1 to 10, with 1 being very infrequent and 10 being very frequent. The response was very clear, an average of 3, which shows that in this area there has been very favorable progressIn question five, half of the respondents said they are self-employed outside the tablao industry, while the other half said they are salaried. However, the frequency with which they are hired for gigs varies significantly between those guitarists who work with high-profile figures and those who don't, with the average being 9 for the former and 3 for the latter.
And now we move on to the more difficult questions. Number six says: “Do you think that, in general, The job of accompanying guitarist is well paid from an economic point of view.? Use the scale from 1 to 10 again, with 1 being the most negative and 10 the most positive. The average response rate is around 4,2, with the lowest scores from the most experienced guitarists and the highest from the younger ones. Another factor to keep in mind is age.
The seventh question reads as follows: “With regard to the cachet of the singer or main figure, assess to what extent you consider that the salary received by the guitarist corresponds to the effort/role he/she plays.”peña within a show/recital. Answer from 1 to 10, with 1 being a little, and 10 being a lot." In this case, in line with the age criterion that arose in the previous question, the score drops to 3,7. That is, Most people consider that they receive an amount much lower than what corresponds to their effort and contribution.It should be added, once again, that the scores of the tocaores who work with high-cash figures differ significantly from the rest.
Moving on to the next question, we phrase it this way: “To what extent do you agree with this statement: “The backing guitar is the backbone of the flamenco, the base piece on which the entire exercise rests cante and dancing, and without whose presence the building would crumble.” Respond from 1 to 10, with 1 being slightly in agreement, and 10 being strongly in agreement.” The majority gave a 9 or 10, with the average being 9,3.
We now ask about the guitar accompaniment to dance, and 95 percent of respondents consider it to be worse paid than that of accompaniment to cante, depending on the work required. Regarding essays and their remuneration, considering the time invested in them, most agree that they are not well paid, with the average response being 2,7 out of 10, i.e., a very low score. In the following question, we analyze if the rehearsals are paid for cante, and the total responses give an average of 1,5 out of 10, which draws a highly negative conclusion. Regarding dancing, the average rises somewhat further, reaching 3,2. Once again, we must differentiate between those who work for high-profile companies and those who work for high-budget companies.
Question twelve, although it may seem ironic, contains a sad truth. It goes like this: “Juan Habichuela, in an interview we did in 2006, stated that He had often been blamed by interpreters of the cante and the dance of errors only applicable to themselvesHow often has this happened to you since you started? Please rate it on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being infrequent and 10 being very frequent. Unfortunately, it's a pattern that keeps repeating itself, yielding an average above 6, although most acknowledge that the frequency has been decreasing over time.
Finally, an exclusive question for female guitarists that is formulated like this: “As a woman and a guitarist, have you ever perceived discrimination, sexist or macho comments, within the world of music? flamenco? Rate from 1 to 10, with 1 being very infrequent and 10 being very frequent.” It is curious and significant that the older female guitarists score between 9 and 10, while the younger ones stay between 5 and 6, being, in any case, a high rating and, therefore, negative in terms of discrimination that still exists in areas flamencos.
«The guitar accompaniment to dance is less well paid than the guitar accompaniment to cante, as can be seen from the analysis. Rehearsals do not count, in most cases, as paid work, and the name of the guitar, in a still unacceptable percentage, continues to not appear on many posters, being limited to the figures of the cante and the dance»
In Conclusion
Although we appreciate significant changes tocanteDespite professionalization, substantial improvements in working conditions and Social Security registration, along with progressive improvements in general conditions, we find that some specific areas remain deficient. Although, as we mentioned in this article, the survey is very focused on certain aspects related to the profession and remuneration of accompaniment guitarists, and we have not taken into account factors such as the self-perception of the degree of difficulty/hardness of their work by the agents involved, among other omissions, in order to focus on the purely artistic issue, of particular concern to amateurs, the sample can be considered valid due to the care we have taken in the number of queries and the geographical and stylistic diversity.
As we observe, There is still a large pay gap with respect to the main figures, which is especially accentuated in artists of medium and low cachet., compared to high-cache figures that, as a general rule, and as reflected in the statistics we handle, apply rates that score guitars much higher than the previous ones.
According to testimonies gathered in light of this investigation, there are, in isolated cases, highly renowned artists who take advantage of their status and the admiration of young guitarists (I speak in the masculine because we haven't collected any other data on the matter) to pay absolutely ridiculous amounts that don't even include travel and accommodation expenses. It goes without saying, in this regard, that our intention is not to create a blacklist of "exploiters," but rather to point out a regrettable fact that exists and is perpetrated by well-known and admired individuals. The admiration factor is considered at the public level, certainly not by this author of this article.
The guitar accompaniment to dance is less paid than the guitar accompaniment to cante, as can be seen from the analysis. Rehearsals do not count, in most cases, as paid work, and the name of the guitar, in a still unacceptable percentage, continues to not appear on many posters, being limited to the figures of the cante and dance, and relegating the "sonantas" to the background, despite the fact that almost all of the people surveyed perceive their musical instrument as the column on which art is based. flamenco.
The sociological/political aspect of female guitarists deserves special mention, as it reveals sad data about the discrimination they suffer even in a world as historically masculinized as that of the guitar. However, The downward trend offers some hope for the future. ♦
Text: Juan Pinilla (Grenade)
→ Juan Pinilla Martín is a flamenco singer who was honored at the Las Minas Festival in 2007. He was nominated for a Latin Grammy in 2014. He holds a degree in Translation, Hispanic Literature, and Comparative Literature. He has studies in Law, Politics, and Philosophy. He holds a Master's degree in Literary and Theatre Studies. He is a PhD candidate in Hispanic Philology from the University of Granada. He has published more than 500 articles and interviews on flamenco in various media.
