Flamenco Legend: In Search of Camaron De La Isla
This title presents the story of the passion and intensity of Flamenco, the culture of a dance, the death of a legend...In 1992, the greatest Flamenco artist of all time died at the age of 41 as a result of drug and alcohol abuse. Yet, Camaron de la Isla is still known as the "Flamenco Beatle", the singer who rescued this dramatic music from the clutches of General Franco and gave it back to the streets. For Flamenco lovers throughout the world, he symbolises the passion, intensity and danger of the greatest dance on earth. So, why did this gypsy singer, whose Che Guevara image now sells everything from tea-towels to a Hollywood film, come to such a tragic end? 14 years after Camaron"s death, Marcos, best known as the "BBC"s voice of Flamenco", returns to southern Spain on a journey in search of Flamenco"s greatest artist. Discovering the real Camaron takes him to the salt flats of Cadiz and the streets of Seville, and he discovers why Spain"s greatest hero is not a pop star or a footballer, but a dead gypsy. What was it about Camaron that appealed to lawyers and street children alike? Why did 100,000 people gather at his funeral in 1992, despite Camaron"s addiction to heroin and cocaine sentence and his prison sentence for reckless driving, which resulted in the deaths of two other drivers? What was the real cause of his demise? The mystery behind Flamenco"s martyr takes Marcos on a journey of discovery that will bring him to the lifeblood of this remarkable culture, and into the heart of Spain"s most vibrant community.