Manolo Caracol is one of the most important figures in flamenco singing. He is one of the masters and geniuses of flamenco, alongside Antonio Chacón, Manuel Torre, Pepe Marchena and Silverio. He was a pure gypsy, an artist who can be described “neither as flamenco nor as hondo (deep), but rather as gypsy”, who descended from a dynasty of great artists which started with El Planeta. However, his singing is considered heterodox, as he sang with orchestra and piano accompaniment, something which has been done frequently in flamenco during the last few decades, but not at that time. He also invented a new fandango that he called “caracolero”. Caracol always insisted on the originality of his singing, of his style, and of everything he did, he always claimed that he didn´t imitate or follow anybody. He dominated all of the styles, but he was particularly outstanding in the festive ones: bulerías, martinetes, soleares and tangos, and, most of all, in seguiriyas, as he himself used to say.
The most successful years for Manolo Caracol were the ones when he formed an artistic partnership with Lola Flores. Together, they travelled all over Spain more than once, achieving great triumphs with their theatre shows. Once the couple had split up, in 1963 he established his own tablao, Los Canasteros, in Madrid. Since then, Caracol only wanted to sing there and, occasionally, in great festivals or flamenco gatherings. All of the contemporary artists passed through Los Canasteros at one time or another, so the full list of artists who worked alongside Manolo Caracol throughout his artistic career is almost impossible to reproduce. It will suffice to mention some of the greatest ones: Pastora Imperio, La Niña de los Peines, Juanito Valderrama, Pepe Pinto, Pepe Marchena... He also made some films: "Un caballero famoso" and "Jack El Negro"; "Embrujo" and "La Niña de la Venta", with Lola Flores.
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