Singer Ramón 'El Portugués' dies at 77

Ramón Suárez Salazar, known artistically as Ramón 'El Portugués' , died this Monday, June 16, in Mérida at the age of 77 due to a domestic accident. The singer, born in the Extremaduran town in 1948 and considered one of the great voices of flamenco in the second half of the 20th century, was one of the artists attached to the essence of the genre who, despite not having an extensive discography, left an indelible mark on cante jondo.

Nephew (and at the same time son-in-law) of the legendary Porrina de Badajoz, brother of the also cantaor Guadiana, Ramón 'El Portugués' was the son of the great 'Musiquina' and 'Maca' , and patriarch of a saga that includes names such as Juan José 'Paquete' Suárez, guitarist of La Barbería del Sur and winner of several Latin Grammys as music producer of El Cigala and Tomatito; as well as illustrious percussionists such as Ramón Porrina, El Piraña - member of Paco de Lucía 's last band - and the young Sabú, who has already worked in the companies of Antonio Canales, Sara Baras and Joaquín Cortés.

Ramón 'El Portugués' began his career at the age of twelve, accompanying his uncle in Madrid tablaos such as Las Cuevas de Nemesio, Torres Bermejas, Los Canasteros de Caracol, Café de Chinitas or El Corral de la Morería , and already in his first stage he shared the stage with figures such as Camarón de la Isla, Mario Maya, Paco Cepero, El Turronero, El Güito or Pansequito.

At 19, he traveled to Japan as part of a flamenco group with singer Jarrito, and later became a singer with the Spanish National Ballet and the flamenco dancer El Güito 's group, touring internationally. In the 1990s, he pivoted his career, strengthening his solo career at major festivals such as the Seville Biennial and the Madrid Flamenco Summit.

Among his most notable albums are 'Gitanos de la Plaza' (1992), on which he collaborated with Tomatito, Pepe Habichuela, El Bola, and Paquete; 'Canta Ramón el Portugués' (2006), and 'Jaleo' (2014), recorded with his brother Guadiana. In 1993, he participated in the Jazzpaña project alongside Al Di Meola, Vince Mendoza, Jorge Pardo, Carles Benavent, and Juan Manuel Cañizares; and not to be forgotten is his participation in the compilation 'Archivo de Flamenco Vol. 17', where he pays homage to the flamenco styles of Extremadura.

In 2015, on his fiftieth anniversary, friends and colleagues such as Enrique Morente, Diego el Cigala, Pitingo, and Pepe Habichuela offered him a moving tribute in Madrid.

The news of Ramón 'El Portugués' death, confirmed by his nephew Chiki Porrina, has shocked the flamenco community. Due to this tragedy, his son, percussionist 'El Piraña', will not be able to attend the tribute to Pepe Habichuela , which will take place this Wednesday at the Madrid Noches del Botánico festival, as planned.

"With Ramón El Portugués, one of the four pillars of flamenco singing in Extremadura, along with Porrina, Juan Cantero, and Marelu, passes away," said flamencologist Paco Zambrano upon learning of his death. "He had his own personal touch; he was a very complete singer, who sang both forward and backward—I mean, for dancing. He sang for the most important figures in dance of the last fifty years. He's one of the best in the history of flamenco, and he was also a truly wonderful person."