Flamenco guitarist Benito Bernal Díaz, hailing from Villanueva de los Castillejos (Huelva), a town nestled within the heart of the Andévalo region of Huelva province, was born on the 18th of June 1998.
His nascent fascination with music emerged in tandem with the cultural environment of the region and his family. At home, there were always guitars and a great love of music. His focus gravitated towards the distinctive flamenco genres of the area, notably sevillanas and fandangos.
Within the comfort of his home, the guitar commenced its role as a mere child’s diversion, while he watched his mother, his sister and his brother play, and his father sing. Nevertheless, it was his mother who entrusted him with the initial notes that kindled his journey with the guitar.
Nurturing his melodic aspirations at the municipal school of his hometown, he wielded the guitar as a source of joy until the age of sixteen, when he secured entry into the Professional Conservatory of Music “Javier Perianes” in Huelva. There, he relinquished the guise of juvenile pastime and embarked upon a transformative odyssey as both an artist and professional.
At the tender age of nineteen, he gained admittance to the distinguished “Rafael Orozco” Conservatory of Music in Córdoba. From this juncture, the seeds of his inaugural accomplishments began to germinate, a series of performances unfurling across diverse Spanish festivals and theaters, accompanying singers with his guitar. Additionally, he won the illustrious Niño Miguel guitar prize.
At a mere twenty-one years of age, he aligned his artistic trajectory with the company of Estévez / Paños, laureates of the National Dance Award in 2019. Their collaborative endeavor, the production titled “El sombrero,” propelled him onto the stage of the Festival de Jerez in 2020. His musical skill echoed once more in 2022 as he contributed to the repertoire of “Reverso,” a creation by Macarena López. That same year marked his solo debut at the XXII Bienal de Flamenco de Sevilla, a significant milestone facilitated through the Benito Bernal sponsorship program mentored by Dani de Morón.
He has accompanied many flamenco artists, including Arcángel, Sergio de Lope, Ángeles Toledano, María Moreno, Eduardo Guerrero, Diego Guerrero and La Tremendita.
In 2023, he performed as a guitarist in the show Origen by Edu Guerrero at El Corral de la Morería, combining it with the accompaniment of other artists, while preparing solo shows and working on the production of what will be the new album by Ángeles Toledano.
(headline image: Benito Bernal – photo by Antonio Pereira Jiménez)
Author: Douglas Sanders
