José Tejada Martín. Marchena (Seville), 1903 - Seville, 1976. Singer. He called himself Niño de Marchena at the beginning of his career. He was the main protagonist of the stage of the Flamenco Opera, given the afandangados styles.
From a very humble family, in which there were no artistic precedents, although the father was intoned well with malagueñas and soleares. At the age of seven, that child prodigy was already astonished and at twelve or fourteen he would walk through the taverns of Marchena and other surrounding towns making his little songs in exchange for a few coins. In 1920, he was already established in Madrid as a figure of cante with new ways and in which a great future was presumed. In addition to fandangos, he stood out in genres such as the airs from America, the cantes from Malaga and the miner-Levantines.
Falsetto and watermarks were characteristic of Marchena's cante, which was described as "pretty" due to its precious qualities. He took personal creation to its last consequences, introducing recitations in cante and inventing unprecedented stylistic crossovers. His cante had and still has followers, although no less detractors. He left an extensive discography and made numerous films.
