It is more than likely that the basis of fandango flamenco can be traced to Huelva. this is where part of the origins of cante flamenco as we know it today are to be found. The fact is, since the end of the 19th century, the freedom of the cante revolution was limited to the frame of precise times, and the findings were, and still are, variations of the tango (4x4) and fo the fandango (3x4 time), primary. In practice, the vast mejority of artists whether professional or not, have developed and specialised in this styele. However, the most recent generations of Huelva, without ignoring fandango, have broadened their repertory, with established artists in the flamenco world: Argentina, Guillermo Cano y Arcángel, amongst others. One of the most recent cases is that of Rocío Márquez (Huelva, 1985). With no professional flamenco background in the family, she took an interest in music in general from an eary age. She sang for the first time at the age of nine, in the Peña de Palos de la Frontera (Huelva). Soon after, she says, "I tried other types of music, lyrical, coplas and other more modern styles, but I realised that what I enjoyed most was flamenco. It´s what inspires me most, whether on stage or not":

Rocío was invited to different programmes on many television channels and at the age of fifteen she moved to Seville with the aim of setting up a future in the profession. She combined her studies with specific flamenco training, and in 2005, she received a grant from the Cristina Heeren Foundation in Seville. She has taken part in a large number of flamenco festivals and has won different prizes "the times when you have to study a lot, you´ve got the opportunity and you have to make the most of it. When you are going to sing, you must be prepared, although how you get up in the morning also influences, but at least you must be quealified."

In 2007, Rocío won the first Antonio Fernández Fosforito prize for the most complete cantaora in the Festival Nacional de Jóvenes Flamencos in Calasparra (Murcia). The following year brought a boost to her career, when awarded a prize for Cantes Mineros Ciudad de Jumilla (Murcia) and the Lámpara Minera of the International Festival of Cante de las Minas (La Unión, Murcia), and named Huelva Artist of the Year. She has just released her first album, having composed both lyrics and music for some of the tracks. "I´m very happy that it´s live. I really wanted the first recording to be live in order to show what I can give, without the modifications of a studio. Hence the title "Here and Now". Her sources of instpiration are classical, as she says, "I prefer to listen to the old style; if you concentrate on the new style, you run the risk of copying and reproducing. With the old style, you can´t do that." In her repertory of thyles, Rocío doesn´t have any particular favourite, as she says, "I like all styles, but everyone konws their limitations, their own voice, and there are styles that come more naturally and others that need studying. The most important thing is to transmit and achieve as much as you can". (GuiaFlama)

INTERVIEW WITH ROCIO MARQUEZ