Camarón de la Isla

English: Camarón de la Isla (December 5, 1950 – July 2, 1992), was the stage name of a spanish (Gypsy) flamenco singer José Monje Cruz who is sometimes also credited as Camarón de la Isla. Monument to Camarón in La Línea de la Concepción He was born in San Fernando, Cádiz, Spain. His mother was Juana Cruz Castro, a basket weaver ("La Canastera"), whose gift of singing was a strong early influence. His father, Juan Luis Monje, was also a singer as well as a blacksmith, and had a forge where Camarón worked as a boy. His uncle José nicknamed him Camarón (Spanish for "Shrimp") because he was blonde and fair skinned. At the age of eight he began to sing at inns and bus stops with Rancapino to earn money. At sixteen, he won first prize at the Festival del Cante Jondo in Mairena de Alcor. Camarón then went to Madrid with Miguel de los Reyes and in 1968 became a resident artist at the Tablao Torres Bermejas where he remained for twelve years. There he met Paco de Lucía with whom he recorded