"It's not enough to hear the music, besides, you have to see it ..."
Igor Stravinsky
Paco Cruzado – Guitarist, Composer and Educator
Guitarist, composer, and educator born in Huelva, Paco Cruzado has developed a solid professional career in the field of flamenco and Spanish music. He began studying guitar with his father and renowned musicians from Huelva such as Ángel Villanueva, Niño Miguel, José Luis Rodríguez, and Juan Carlos Romero. He has received numerous awards in national flamenco guitar competitions.
He holds formal training in classical guitar from the Conservatorio Profesional de Música “Javier Perianes” in Huelva and in flamenco guitar from the Conservatorio Superior de Música “Rafael Orozco” in Córdoba.
He has accompanied leading flamenco singers such as Paco Toronjo, Mayte Martín, Miguel Poveda, Carmen Linares, and Arcángel, and has worked with prestigious dance companies including those of Manolo Marín, Eva Yerbabuena, and Mario Maya. He was also a member of the emblematic group Jarcha, a key reference in Andalusian folk music.
His versatility has led him to collaborate on contemporary classical music projects such as De oscura llama with composer Mauricio Sotelo, and to participate in film scores like that of the documentary Todo el pasado por delante, directed by Manuel Busto and Rubén Olmo.
As a composer and performer, he has created and performed music for prominent shows such as Mudanzas boleras 1812–2012, Mariposas blancas, Huelva. La luz del flamenco, Khalo caló, Metáfora, Tranquilo alboroto, and Arquitectura de luz y sombras, among others.
He also stands out for publishing several recordings focused on the Escuela Bolera, a dance genre declared a Cultural Heritage Asset, including La Nueva Escuela Bolera, Nuevas Músicas Boleras, and the collection Bailes de Repertorio.
He has participated in innovative educational initiatives, such as online guitar courses in collaboration with Faustino Núñez and Juan Carlos Romero, and has led didactic workshops such as Acompañamiento al Cante Flamenco, promoted by the SGAE Foundation.
In the symphonic realm, he has taken part in shows like Con otra mirada with María Toledo and the Orquesta de Córdoba, and Mairena Clásico at the Bienal de Flamenco de Málaga, sharing the stage with artists such as José Valencia, Jesús Méndez, and Farruquito.
And Soy Gitano, a production of the IX Bienal de Málaga, with orchestral arrangements by maestro Jesús Bola and performances by Duquende, Pedro el Granaino, and Farruquito.
He currently balances his artistic career with the direction of the Escuela Municipal de Música y Danza de Aljaraque, where he also teaches flamenco guitar and flamenco singing accompaniment. Since 2022, he has been actively collaborating with singer Mayte Martín in the shows Déjà Vu and Evocación.
With over two decades of experience, Paco Cruzado stands as a reference figure in flamenco guitar, with an outstanding artistic, pedagogical, and cultural contribution.