Antonio Núñez Montoya, ‘El Chocolate,’ was born in Jerez de la Frontera (Spain) in May of 1940, but his artistic birth took place in Seville, at the Alameda de Hercules, his cradle and school of singing. The Pavones, Vallejo, El Sevillano, and many others were his teachers and from their living voices he learned the deepest secrets of flamenco music.
These eminent professors of the “Seville university of Flamenco” imparted their masterful classes throughout the first half of the 20th century. Those were the years in which performers sang for sane flamenco aficionados, for fun-seeking drunkards with money, for country folk that went to the theater with desires of having a good time and for other artists with whom they shared moments of pain and joy.
And so, with that interior baggage, Antonio Núñez developed his own artistic personality that made him noteworthy and unique.
He was the heir to the most classical of flamenco schools, where truths were exposed with all crudeness and where elaborate excess was clearly denounced. ‘El Chocolate’ did not understand half colors in Flamenco, just like he didn’t understand relief and embellishments. Body and soul have to join to find oneself in the gut, to find the feelings, undress them and introduce them to the exterior as an expressive vehicle. As he said: “The soul of flamenco doesn’t come, it is necessary to look for it.”
El Chocolate won the Latin Grammy Award for Best Flamenco Album in 2002.
He died on June 19, 2005.
Partial discography
Antonio Núñez ‘El Chocolate’ (Belter, 1968)
Mano a Mano, with Fosforito (Belter 1970)
Antonio Núñez ‘El Chocolate’ (Trama, 1977)
Los Cantes de El Chocolate (SAEF, 1980)
50 Años de Flamenco, 1935-1985 (Olympo, 1985)
Los Cantes de El Chocolate (Perfil, 1986)
El Chocolate, Maestros del Cante (Hispavox, 1987)
El Chocolate, Maestros del Flamenco (Hispavox, 1988)
Antonio Núñez ‘El Chocolate’, Flamenco de Hoy (Coliseum, 1990)
Si Yo Volviera a Nacer (Senador, 1996)
Mis 70 años con el Cante (Palo Nuevo/Muxxic, 2001)
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.