Singer and dancer Naike Ponce was born in Sanlucar de Barrameda (Cadiz, Spain) and grew up in various cities in southern Spain: Jerez de la Frontera, Cádiz, Sevilla and Utrera. She was discovered by the legendary cantaora ‘La Sallago’, who instilled in her the wisdom of singing from the gut and the heart. Naike has a powerful and versatile voice.
Se received a scholarship from the prestigious ‘Cristina Hereen’ flamenco school, as well as the first prize in the ‘Primer concurso Cantiñas de Cádiz’, the ‘Upcoming Artist Award’ of the The Gran Vía Awards and the first prize in the ‘Concurso por saetas de Torres Macarena’ in Seville.
Throughout her career, she has worked in the best flamenco clubs and festivals in Andalusia. Later, she moved to Madrid. In the Spanish capital, Naike was part of great shows like the musical ‘Cómplices’ and collaborated with top artists such as Jorge Pardo, Estrella Morente, Manolo Sanlúcar, Manolo Soler, Caramelo, Dany Noel, Yelsy Heredia, Isrrael Varela, Piranha, Maria Vargas, Chano Lobato, Pansequito, Rancapino, Matilde Corral, Paco Taranto, and Naranjito de Triana.
In 2019, she toured several times with guitarist Juan José Suárez ‘Paquete.
Moving forward, in 2024, Naike curated the 2024 edition of Nuevos Territorios. She selected four rising talent female talents within the flamenco world.
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.