Closely connected to the traditional Romani roots of Extremadura and the art of flamenco, CANITO became involved in this artistic expression from a very early age. His natural talent, combined with years of training, led him to become a guitarist and composer. He made his debut in 1990 at the Palau de la Música in Barcelona alongside the dancer Flora Albaicín.
He then began a stage in which he accompanied some of the greatest stars of flamenco dance, including Manuela Carrasco, Merche Esmeralda, Belén Maya, Sara Baras, Niña Pastori, Miguel Poveda, Javier Barón, Joaquín Grilo, Isabel Bayón, Andrés Marín, Rocío Molina, Rafaela Carrasco, among others.
Between 1995 and 1999, he composed musical works for stage director Francisco Suárez, such as Plaza Alta, El Sueño de los Gitanos, Bodas de Sangre, Orestes en Lisboa, Romancero Gitano and Ítaca. He also collaborated on Más Allá del Tiempo and Asimetrías by Andrés Marín, as well as Abrazo, premiered in Irvine, Los Angeles.
His artistic career has been confirmed through performances in prestigious concert halls and festivals across the world, including Germany, Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Bali, Cape Verde, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, China, Denmark, the United States, Egypt, Scotland, the Philippines, Finland, Equatorial Guinea, Honduras, Hong Kong, Ireland, Indonesia, Israel, Jordan, Japan, Lebanon, Morocco, Moscow, Namibia, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Syria and Taiwan.
He has recorded with renowned artists such as the singer Rafael Jiménez “Falo” on Cante Gitano, and the great guitarist and composer Gerardo Núñez on La Nueva Escuela de Guitarra Flamenca. This creative activity led to the recording of his first album, Son de Ayer (2008), with which he performed on prestigious stages and festivals such as Teatro Español in Madrid, Los Jueves Flamencos del Monte in Seville and the Festival de Jerez, among others.
In 2010 he released his second album, Flamenco Crossover. He also collaborated with the acclaimed director Carlos Saura on the documentary Flamenco. In 2011, Canito participated in the release of the live CD and DVD by Diana Navarro, titled Flamenco, recorded at Teatro Quintero in Seville, which achieved Gold Record status.
In 2012 he released his third album, El Atlante, a solo guitar record, and in 2015 he released his latest DVD project, Seis Cuerdas para Dos Tacones, recorded live. In 2019 he co-produced the album Visto en el Jueves with Rocío Márquez, which received the French award Les Victoires du Jazz in the category of Best World Music Album, making her the first Spanish artist to receive this award. That same year, he received the “Guitarra con Alma” award at the Festival de Flamenco de Jerez.
