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. 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.
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 alive 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” 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 had 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 family.
He belongs to a gypsy family, where his position is that of the Patriarch.
Discography:
El Cuchara y su Familia (Lunadisco, 1998)
Siempre Gitano (Lunadisco, 2010)
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.