JOSE CARLOS GOMEZ, INTIMATE
When you admire an artist and they grant you their time, the gesture is priceless. Besides a wonderful interview, we spent an afternoon sharing invaluable conversations. I know an excellent person, an example of resilience, sacrifice, hard work, and perseverance. The guitarist from Algeciras, José Carlos Gómez, gave me the opportunity to share some marvelous moments. José Carlos Gómez was born in the town of Algeciras, in the province of Cádiz, on June 16, 1972. He grew up in a humble, hardworking family, where his father grew up alongside the family of Antonio Sánchez Pecino, patriarch of the Lucía dynasty. It's curious how, at the age of three, he was captivated by a performance by the maestro Paco de Lucía on television. These images stayed with him so vividly that at five years old, in his letter to the Three Kings, he asked for a flamenco guitar. At the age of seven, he began his first lessons, initially with a flamenco singer with guitar skills, Flores el Gaditano, a member of the Trio Los Gaditanos along with the parents of Manuel Molina and Isabel Pantoja. For two years, he was friends with the guitarist Salvador Andrades. Salvador instilled in him the distinctive style of the Algeciras guitar, along with pieces by Paco de Lucía. José Carlos was very receptive and quickly grasped the melodies and falsetas. Later, José Carlos began to study Paco de Lucía's playing more deeply. He even gave concerts performing pieces by the Algeciras maestro at the age of eleven. Subsequently, Andrés Rodríguez introduced him as a member of the ensemble. Flamenco Soleá. The experience with this group is important in his career as a guitarist, providing him with basic aspects of playing for dancing and cante, in addition to establishing fundamental knowledge for the future of his career. As well as the great influence of Paco Narváez. With this maestro, he not only perfected his technique, but also expanded his harmonic and sound knowledge. And at the age of sixteen, he not only accompanied singers such as Canela de San Roque or Antonio Madreles, but he even gave guitar concerts in London and Paris, to spectacular acclaim. Pepe de Lucía, impressed by his skill with the guitar, invited him to work with a young Potito. It was then that José Carlos met and spent time with Tomatito, and played in Rotterdam. He also played with Moraíto Chico. Morao was captivated by a bulería he heard him play and said, "That boy really does play Paco's songs well." Around that time, he won first prize at the Ramón de Algeciras Guitar Competition in Getafe. And soon he settled in Madrid. With the support of José María Bandera, he came into contact with Merche Esmeralda's company. He worked with the dancer, first at Los Veranos de la Villa, alongside Luis Habichuela, Ramón el Portugués, and Talegón de Córdoba. Later, he joined the Ballet of the Region of Murcia as principal guitarist. But that's not all, because from 1991 to 1997 he joined the Spanish National Ballet as a guitarist, alongside Luis Habichuela and José María Bandera. He toured nationally and internationally. He even composed music for works in the ballet's repertoire. "The project that's coming in mid-2023 is 'Las Huellas de Dios' (The Footprints of God). In José Carlos Gómez's own words, it's not a homage or a tribute, it's much more. He wanted to create a soundtrack for important moments in his life. It's a very thoughtful album, well-crafted and full of nods to the figure of Paco de Lucía."
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