Antonio Peña Otero, known as El Cuchara, was born in Utrera on January 7th 1930. When he was only 11 or 12 years old, he began singing and dancing in some parties that served, at the same time, as a Flamenco school and as a place where you could see first artistic manifestations.

Thanks to one of those parties, El Cuchara arrived for the first time to "El Guajiro" (one of the first Flamenco clubs in Seville ), when Matilde Coral, Rafael El Negro, Manuela Vargas, Chano Lobato... worked there, and as he himself said:"... From there I used to go to the liff in order to go on with the party, the singing, the dancing, the wine... That was a war in which you could not go on !

That is why, after a month, he left the stage and continued working as a butcher at Utrera´s Municipal Slaughterhouse, where he has been working all his life.

El Cuchara has 16 children, but only 14 are still alive. He also has 24 grandchildren and he is proud of having good friends: Paco Camino, Curro Romero, Camarón, Manuela Carrasco, Marqués de Ulloa, Juan de Dios Pareja Obregón...

One of his last performances as an artist was in the year 1992, in a show known as "Tierra", together with Lebrijano, Curro Triana, Familia Fernández... Nowadays, he can be seen in some parties, in most cases accompanied by his family and giving a clear evidence of his art, something in which he has always been the best singing and dancing "bulerías".

The label Lunadisco wanted to do a studio recording, but in a direct form, leaving El Cuchara and his family on their own, in a familiar way , singing what they wanted at that moment and in a party style, that is, tangos, "bulerías" and "Fiesta", a special "bulería" rhythm from Utrera. The serious Flamenco note is given by Gaspar, the youngest of the El Cuchara´s family. Being only 11 years old, Gaspar dares to sing , a "soleá"with an ancient flavor.

The Cuchara family has made what it wanted and listeners can share with them those moments. They reveal the freshness of spontaneity, the true source of life.

The nickname "El Cuchara" (The Spoon) is due to some ancient parties where it was a custom to baptize the "cantaores" who were hired by the gentlemen.

El Cuchara, Perrate, and a gentleman were drinking for two days, so they were drunk when someone asked Perrate if his cousin (El Cuchara) had a nickname. He answered he had not got one, but since he was a short man with a big head, he looked like a spoon. Therefore, another party was organized in order to baptize "El Cuchara" (The Spoon), and since that day, everybody knows him by that name.

He has always stood out, apart from his dance and his singing, by his great passion towards "bullfighting". For more than 30 years, he was a "puntillero" (3) in the Bull's Square of Utrera. This is why he has a great friendship with almost all the bullfighters, although he has always specially admired "Curro Romero", his godfather.

"El Cuchara" had sung all his life, but never recorded a CD. Now, however, surrounded by his children and grandchildren, he decided to record a CD in order to leave a legacy and showcase his singing and familiy.

He belongs to a gipsy family, where his position is that of the Patriarch.

El Cuchara y su Familia (Lunadisco)