Pepe Habichuela, the stage name of José Antonio Carmona Carmona, has died in Madrid at age 82, the city where he had lived for decades. He was born in Granada in October 1944 and became one of the most representative figures of contemporary flamenco.
Habichuela belonged to a flamenco dynasty started by his grandfather, known as "Habichuela el Viejo," from whom he inherited his artistic name. His father, José Carmona, and his brothers Juan, Carlos and Luis were also part of that family tradition, which has shaped several generations of flamenco performers.
He was the father of guitarist José Miguel Carmona, known as "Josemi," a member of the group Ketama alongside his cousins Juan José Carmona, "El Camborio," and Antonio Carmona, who are the sons of Juan Habichuela.
Early career and move to Madrid
Habichuela took his first artistic steps in Granada before moving to Madrid in 1964. He built much of his professional career in the capital, performing at some of the city's leading flamenco tablaos and sharing the stage with artists including Juanito Valderrama, Camarón de la Isla and Enrique Morente.
With Morente, he recorded Homenaje a D. Antonio Chacón, an album dedicated to the celebrated cantaor, which won Spain's Premio Nacional de Discografía, or National Discography Award.
Recordings and later performances
Over the course of his career, Habichuela released several albums that reflected both his loyalty to traditional flamenco and his interest in dialogue with other musical styles. These included "A Mandeli" (1983), "Habichuela en rama" (1997), "Yerbagüena," recorded with The Bollywood Strings (2001), and "Hands" (2010), made with British double bassist Dave Holland.
From 2014 onward, he was a regular performer at the Flamenco On Fire festival in Pamplona, returning to the stage there in 2020 alongside Kiki Morente.
Honors and recognition
Habichuela's career earned him several distinctions, including the Medalla de Oro al Mérito en las Bellas Artes, awarded in 2018, and the Gran Cruz de la Orden Civil de Alfonso X el Sabio, granted in 2026.
La Catedral del Cante in La Unión, Murcia, held a minute of silence in his memory following news of his death.
