Bernardo Silva, born in Miajadas, western Spain in 1940, was known as El Indio Gitano (the Gypsy Indian) or El Moro (The Moor). He was the favorite cantaor (flamenco singer) of other flamenco artists. Camarón always mentioned him, as Paco de Lucia, Manolo Sanlucar, Enrique Morente and Gerardo Núñez also did.
Everybody agreed that no one could sing a soleá like him; that nobody had that Gypsy echo and air as when he sang tangos extremeños and bulerias. Also, El Indio Gitano had an irresistible personality, and he appeared as an actor in films directed by Antonio Gades and Carlos Saura.
Bernardo died in Madrid in 1999.
In 2020, writer Ana Vaquero Vicente published a book titled Bernardo Silva. El Indio Gitano (Diversidad Literaria).
Discography:
Aires Flamencos De Extremadura (Acción, 1972)
Nací Gitano Por La Gracia De Dios (Nuevos Medios, 1993)
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.
Updated biography and fixed typos.