Estrella Morente

Born in Granada, Spain, vocalist Estrella Morente descends from flamenco icon Enrique Morente. The weight of that lineage generated considerable excitement within flamenco circles once word spread in 1999 that she would soon issue her first record. Crafted across two years beneath her father’s close supervision, the fervent opening statement Mi Cante y un Poema surfaced at the start of 2001, while the holiday-themed Calle del Aire followed before the year closed. Real World reissued that debut in 2002, presenting it to English-speaking listeners as My Songs and a Poem. Rocker Lenny Kravitz quickly voiced his admiration, and filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar likewise became an admirer, commissioning a contribution for his forthcoming feature Volver. The resulting title song surfaced on her 2006 collection Mujeres, a project honoring earlier generations of distinguished female flamenco vocalists. Mujeres earned a nod in the Best Flamenco Album category at the 2006 Latin Grammys.