Huelva, Spain

1981

A protégée of acclaimed Spanish musician Javier Limón, vocalist Sandra Carrasco is at the forefront of the new generation of flamenco artists keeping the Andalusian sound alive. Born in Almonte, Huelva in 1981, Carrasco developed a love of the genre after listening to the likes of Mayte Martín and Enrique Morente, and while immersed in music and religious studies at university, she continued to follow her passion by attending flamenco classes fronted by the likes of Manolo Sanlúcar and Arcangel. After traveling the world with the Nuevo Ballet Español and providing backing vocals for Estrella Morente, José Mercé, and Anoushka Shankar, she was introduced to Limón, who both cast her in the lead role of the musical Enamorados Anonimos and agreed to produce her self-titled debut album, which was released through EMI in 2011. ~ Jon O'Brien