Spain flamenco 2000s ▶ 15K subscribers

José Mercé

José Mercé, born José Soto Soto in Jerez de la Frontera in 1955, is a Spanish flamenco singer from the Santiago neighborhood. He is one of the most popular cantaores of his generation.

Origins

He sang as a boy in the choir of Jerez's Basílica de la Merced and was performing at flamenco festivals by age 12. He recorded his first album in 1968, accompanied by Manolo Sanlúcar and Paco de Lucía.

The sound

Rooted in the cante of Jerez, he is known for bulerías and for adapting songs by writers such as Luis Eduardo Aute and Víctor Jara to flamenco rhythms. Albums like Del Amanecer (1998), Aire (2000) and Lío (2002) opened his music to a wider pop audience.

Legacy

He received the Medalla de Andalucía in 2010 and the Medalla de Oro al Mérito en las Bellas Artes in 2024. José Mercé Canta a Manuel Alejandro was nominated for Best Flamenco Album at the 2026 Latin Grammys.