Tomás de Perrate

• country:Spain
• region:Andalusia
• style(s):Flamenco
• label:Flamenco Vivo
• type:Band
• gender:male
• instrumentation:instrumental, vocal
• artist posted by:Area

Line up

• Antonio Moya (flamenco guitar)
• Javier Ruibal jr (drums)
• Luis  (handclaping and jaleos)
• Ricardo Moreno (electric guitar)
• Tomas de Perrate (sing)
• Vicente Peña (handclaping and jaleos)

TOMAS DE PERRATE BIO


Tomas Fernandez Soto, was born 6 June 1964 in Utrera, into a gipsy family of singers tradition. Son of Jose Fernandez Granados (Perrate de Utrera) and Tomasa Soto Loreto (daughter of the mythical cantaor Manuel Torres).

He always developed his art inside the family field, but since the Christmas of the year 1999/2000 he began to externalise his feeling about the "cante". His first participation with other members of his family was embodied on a record with title "Christmas in Utrera" where he sings the endearing song "Los Campanilleros" of Manuel Torres, being this record his first step inside the "cante".

Although he had never sing in front of an audience, he went to a fiesta, where between a lot of artists was the dean of the flamenco's journalism Miguel Acal. After he listened Tomas, he wrote about him:

"He sang for four minutes, bulerias for make the shirt in shreds, he's inexperienced, very inexperienced, but he's a lot of carat's diamond, his father and grandfather are assembled on his voice, the sweetness and the solemn rhythm of the father and the enervated echo of the grandfather"

The opinion of Manuel Acal, and some other artists of the family like Lebrijano, Pedro Pena, Miguel Funi, Antonio Moya, Dorantes and Gaspar de Utrera, encouraged Tomas to investigate, rehearse the cantes and put them on practice.

Tomas made his first important performance in the Mont de Marian's Festival (France), a successful sight, with Pepa Benito and Manuel de Paula, called "Raices de Luz", in year 2000. He also participated in the "Potaje Gitano de Utrera" an the first "Feria Mundial de Flamenco de Sevilla".

Apart from offer recitals for some official entities of andalusi flamenco like Casabermeja (Malaga), Sociedad del Cante Grande (Algeciras), El Taranto (Almeria) and El Piyayo (Malaga), he gets a usual singer of the flamenco series that arrange the Diputacion of Sevilla.

He was the artistic director of the tribute offered to "Perrate de Utrera" successfully celebrated on the second "Feria Mundial de Flamenco de Sevilla"

Received the award "Giraldillo al artista revelacion" at the "Bienal de Flamenco 2002" by his acting in an spectacle called "Campina". This prize is offered by the specialized critic and an expert commission of the organization. This award promote Tomas and bring him to sing in a multitude of festivals and theatres.

Since some years ago, Tomas take part in the activities of flamenco that organize the Andalusian tourism office for the visitors, that consist in workshops, courses and conferences, besides recitals and concerts with other artists, stands out the collaboration with the distinguished pianist "Dorantes".

On July 2003, add to his artistic talent, the lecturer facet, thanks to his profound knowledge of "El Cante de Utrera de ayer y de hoy", and as a complete artist, he illustrate his words with his songs, playing himself the guitar. He pronounced his first conference at the Mont de Marsan's Festival "L'Ecole de musique et danse".

In March 2004 he is invited by the "Department of romance languages and literatures" of Harvard, together with Antonio Moya, Ramon Soler and Pierre Lefranc.

In September 2007 he's invited to participe in a Festival of the "XIII Bienal de Falmenco de Sevilla", being the best spectacle of the Festival together with "Chocolate", "Bernarda de Utrera", "Miguel Funi", "Pepa de Benito" y "Angelita Vargas", where Tomas appear as an emblem rescued for the "cante" and a consecrated novelty.

The same year he knew a person that will undoubtedly be a fundamental pillar in his life and his artistic career, Ricardo Pachon, and together with his inseparable companion Antonio Moya, they decided to pay homage to a poem of Carlos Lencero that says:

So fast in Jerez
That I could not
So slowly in Triana
Drunkard in Utrera
Came to me the will

And with the collaboration of great musicians and great friends, they invented Perraterias that is the first album of Tomas de Perrate, and was on sale on December 2005.

The 4 February 2006, Tomas received the prize:

"Nacional Flamencos Hoy" Revelacion al cante by his LP Perraterias.

Since then, he goes scattering his art along the nation, with his spectacle named as his lp, Perraterias, accompanied with flamenco guitars, electric guitars, bass, drums, claps and sometimes dance. Or offering recitals more classical, with an ensemble composed by voice, guitar and claps.