Pepe Habichuela

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}}

Pepe Habichuela (born 1944 as José Antonio Carmona Carmona) is a Spanish flamenco guitarist, cited as one of the great flamenco masters and one of Spain's finest contemporary guitarists.{{cite book|last=Davis|first=Elizabeth A.|title=A basic music library: essential scores and sound recordings|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wE-rTkmqUQwC&pg=PA503|accessdate=29 November 2011|date=April 1997|publisher=Music Library Association, ALA Editions|isbn=978-0-8389-3461-6|page=503}}{{cite book|last=Webster|first=Jason|title=Duende: A Journey In Search Of Flamenco|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LWZroeJZQJ8C&pg=PA156|accessdate=29 November 2011|date=3 August 2010|publisher=Transworld|isbn=978-1-4070-9461-8|page=156}}{{cite book|last1=Cooper|first1=David|last2=Dawe|first2=Kevin|title=The Mediterranean in music: critical perspectives, common concerns, cultural differences|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Di1KQc6-HCwC&pg=PA140|accessdate=29 November 2011|year=2005|publisher=Scarecrow Press|isbn=978-0-8108-5407-9|page=140}} He was born in Granada and belongs to a flamenco dynasty of gypsies{{cite book|last=Hayes|first=Michelle Heffner|title=Flamenco: conflicting histories of the dance|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lTWPis2azSYC&pg=PA142|accessdate=29 November 2011|date=March 2009|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-0-7864-3923-2|page=142}} started by his grandfather, known as "Habichuela el Viejo" (Old Bean), who took the nickname, and continued by his father José Carmona and his brothers Juan Habichuela (1933), Carlos and Luis.

In 1964 he moved to Madrid where he performed in several flamenco shows and shared the stage with artists such as Juanito Valderrama, Camarón de la Isla and Enrique Morente. He recorded an album in tribute to singer Antonio Chacón which won the National Prize of discography in 1975.{{cite web|url=http://www.losplatoscomoojos.com/2010/11/pepe-habichuela.html|title=Pepe Habichuela|publisher=Los Platos Comoojos|accessdate=29 November 2011|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120426010520/http://www.losplatoscomoojos.com/2010/11/pepe-habichuela.html|archivedate=26 April 2012}}

He is the father of José Miguel Carmona Niño and uncle of Juan José Carmona Amaya El Camborio and Antonio Carmona Amaya (sons of his brother Juan Habichuela). The three formed the New Flamenco band Ketama.{{cite magazine|author=LLewellyn, Howell|title=Mercury's Ketama to Aid Spanish Mkt. |page=82|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cggEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA82|accessdate=29 November 2011|date=2 October 1999|magazine=Billboard Magazine|issn=0006-2510}} In 2001, Habichuela released the album Yerbagüena as part of Pepe Habichuela & The Bollywood Strings, a unique mix of flamenco guitar and Indian string music.{{cite magazine|author=Amicone, Michael|title=International Execs Declare Their Indie Advantage During Tough Times |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1Q8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA54|accessdate=29 November 2011|date=19 January 2002|magazine=Billboard Magazine|page=54|issn=0006-2510}} He has also experimented with Arabic-flamenco fusion music.{{cite book|last=Bordowitz|first=Hank|title=Noise of the world: non-western musicians in their own words|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TlzWD8njAoIC&pg=RA1-PA176|accessdate=29 November 2011|year=2004|publisher=Soft Skull Press|isbn=978-1-932360-60-8|page=1}} He has been described as "highly emotional" like Tomatito, with one author saying "If flamenco has earned its rep as an overly emotional music, it isn't going to be Habichuela who turns it around."{{cite book|last1=Garvey|first1=Geoff|last2=Ellingham|first2=Mark|title=The Rough Guide to Andalucia|url=https://archive.org/details/roughguidetoanda0000garv|url-access=registration|accessdate=29 November 2011|date=28 April 2009|publisher=Rough Guides Ltd|isbn=978-1-84836-037-2|page=[https://archive.org/details/roughguidetoanda0000garv/page/596 596]}}{{cite magazine |editor=Baird, Jack|title=Pepe Habichuela|page=102|magazine=Musician|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3p4JAQAAMAAJ&q=Habichuela |issue=99|accessdate=29 November 2011|year=1987|publisher=Amordian Press}}