Diego Villegas was born in Sanlúcar de Barrameda (Cadiz, Spain) in 1987. He grew up in a flamenco environment. His sister is a flamenco dancer and she initiated and guided him.
At 8, Villegas began his classical guitar studies at the “Joaquín Turina” Conservatory in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Cadiz, and then completed his Professional Degree at the Joaquín Villatoro Conservatory in Jerez de la Frontera (Cadiz). At the age of ten he enrolled in the Sanlúcar de Barrameda Municipal Academy, where he studied clarinet and symphonic percussion. At 12 he joined the “Julián Cerdán” Band, also in Sanlúcar, as a clarinet soloist.
In terms of flamenco, Diego Villegas has shared the stage with dancers such as Antonio Fernandez ‘Farru’, Ángel Muñoz, María Juncal, Concha Jareño and Raquel Villegas. He also collaborates with artists like Remedios Amaya, María Toledo, Jorge Pardo, Israel Suárez “Piranha”, etc.
Diego Villegas leads the Flamenco-Jazz Project. He plays musical instruments such as flute and saxophone. He also uses other wind instruments rarely utilized in flamenco: harmonica and clarinet.
In 2016 Diego Villegas released his first solo album titled Bajo de Guía, which is dedicated a well-known neighborhood in Sanlúcar de Barrameda. On Bajo de Guía, Villegas combines flamenco, jazz, bossa nova and Latin American rhythms.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
