RAFAEL ANDÚJAR

RAFAEL FERNÁNDEZ ANDÚJAR, better known by his stage name of Rafael Andújar, is a flamenco guitarist from Carmena, Toledo, where he was born in 1966. Trained by Rafael Nogales and Víctor Monge "Serranito", he has created works that encompass all the different flamenco "palos" and has won awards in several competitions, most notably the Bordón Minero Award (1st prize) at the La Unión International Festival del Cante de las Minas, awards in Jerez de la Frontera and Cordoba, and the Young Flamenco Award of the Community of Madrid. He has worked on television with artists of the stature of Rocío Jurado and Isabel Pantoja, and he has performed alongside Enrique Morente and Carmen Linares and in shows with Concha Velasco and Sara Lezana. He currently teaches at the Royal Conservatory of Dance in Madrid and has represented Spain at international festivals in Costa Rica, Buenos Aires, Germany and France.

His life has been marked by his encounters with top flamenco artists such as Paco de Lucía and Manolo Sanlúcar, and his compositions reflect a profound connection with his roots and emotions. His album "From My Soul" testifies to this connection, with tracks that range from the rumba "My Little Stars", inspired by a child’s smile, to "Poem for the Two Roses", dedicated to his daughters, and "With Two Guitars", a classic heel-stomper. Other pieces such as "Delicate" (an alegría) and "Verdiales of Memory" show how his guitar playing is able to evoke memories and emotions. "From my Soul", the piece that gives the album its name, is a seguiriyas that explores a difficult period in the composer’s life, while "Looking to the South" and “Flamenca Percussion" are tributes to flamenco maestros such as Paco de Lucía.