Manolo Franco
Manolo Franco Barón was born in Seville in 1960. He studied under his
uncle Manolo Barón and Antonio de Osuna, who gave him his first lessons at
the age of 12. He continued his training in the Matilde Coral school and
debuted at the age of 15 in the Festivals of Spain.
He has participated in several international festivals
as a concert guitarist, such as those held in Cordova, Stockholm,
Istanbul, Frieberg and Tokyo, and in the Reencuentros Internacionales de
Guitarra in Tarbes, France, the Flamenco Art Biennial in Seville and the
Madrid Flamenco Summit.
His discography features his solo album entitled Aljibe
and innumerable recordings accompanying various flamenco singers — Carmen
Linares, José Merce, Calixto Sánchez, Naranjito de Triana and others — and
other musical styles related to flamenco. He has played for theatrical
performances such as Stars of the Biennial, Cantando la Pena, Mediterráneo,
Lances del Arenal, Compadres and others.
He currently teaches at the Rafael Orozco Conservatory
of Music in Cordova, a pioneering school in this specialty. As part of his
teaching work he has taught courses in guitar festivals in Cordova and
Tarbes, the Seville Biennial and the Cristina Heren Foundation of Seville.
His artistic work has been recognized with numerous
awards, such as Seville Radio's concert guitar award, the prize for the
best accompanist in the Seville Flamenco Art Biennial in 2002 and again in
2004, and the Jerez National Flamencology Award in 2003.
He came into his own at the 3rd Seville Flamenco Art
Biennial in 1984. He was chosen unanimously from among a number of top
professional participants to receive the first Giraldillo Award for
Flamenco Guitar Playing, a prize granted by a prestigious panel including,
among others, Paco de Lucía, Manolo Sanlúcar, Serranito, Juan Habichuela,
Mario Escudero and Félix Grande. |
