Antonio Rey Navas nace en Madrid en 1981, y comienza su carrera artística a la temprana edad
de diez años cuando acompaña a su padre Tony Rey en diversos tablaos de México. Pocos años
después, es reclamado por la bailarina Yoko Komatsubara para realizar la que sería su primera
gira por Japón.
A los dieciocho años entra a formar parte de la Compañía de Antonio Canales y, posteriormente,
compone la música del espectáculo «Gallo de pelea» del Nuevo Ballet Español. El guitarrista
madrileño continúa actualmente con esta Compañía fundada en 1996 por Ángel Rojas y Carlos
Rodríguez, para la que ha firmado otras composiciones como «Romeo y Julieta».
Su último gran triunfo ha sido la obtención del Primer Premio del Concurso de Guitarra «Bordón
Minero» en el prestigioso Festival Internacional del Cante de Las Minas (La Unión) en 2003. También
cuenta con los galardones Primer Premio del Concurso Nacional de Córdoba, 1er Premio Niño Ricardo y
Premio Giraldillo al Mejor Concertista.
En 2004 colaboró como artista invitado en el grupo de Paco de Lucía, y más tarde fue director y
compositor de la obra de Carlos Saura “Flamenco Hoy” y de distintas producciones de la Compañía
Farruquito.
Publica su cuarto trabajo discográfico, Dos Partes de Mí, en 2017, con colaboraciones de Richard
Bona, Diego el Cigala y Farruquito. Su siguiente álbum, Flamenco sin Fronteras, reúne a Pablo
Alborán y El Barrio y se alza con el Grammy Latino al mejor disco flamenco en 2020. Ese mismo año,
por iniciativa de Gerardo Núñez, recibe el premio Giraldillo al mejor concierto de guitarra en la Bienal
de Flamenco de Sevilla.
Antonio Rey is the greatest flamenco art guitarist of today, backed by awards in the most important flamenco competitions,
being the 2010 National Guitar Prize, as was previously won by Paco de Lucía, Vicente Amigo or Paco Peña. Facts that made
Gerardo Núñez notice the young guitarist, producing his first album “A través de ti”.
We are not only dealing with a virtuoso. Antonio Rey is also an original, different, inspired and surprising guitarist, as demonstrated
in his album for EMI Music, “Colores del Fuego” (2011).
He has collaborated with great musicians and artists, such as Estrella Morente, Tommy Emmanuel, Vicente Amigo, Nishat Kahn,
Manuela Carrasco, Farruquito or Rafael Amargo. He has appeared at Festivals and venues such as the New York City Centre, Montreal
International Jazz Festival, Madrid Jazz Festival, Monterrey Flamenco Festival, Moscow Performing Arts Center, Nimes Flamenco Festival,
Barcelona Jazz Festival, Mont de Marsan Flamenco Festival, Jerez Flamenco Festival or Seville Flamenco Biennial.
Antonio shared the stage with Paco de Lucía on numerous occasions and from whom he takes the lead of the great flamenco guitar.
He published the album “Camino al Alma” in May 2013. In Arco de Santiago, fast-paced bulerías brimming with virtuosity and originality,
Antonio Rey has the collaboration of singer Diego El Cigala as well as contributions from Miguel Poveda, Josemi Carmona and Chaboli.
Recorded in the flamenco neighborhood of Santiago, in Jerez de la Frontera, Antonio Rey's third album represents a new evolution
towards musical maturity.
After the disappearance of maestro Paco de Lucía, Antonio Rey formed a quartet to which the gypsy dancer “Farru” joined to pay tribute to the great maestro in places such as the Philharmonie Theater in Paris.
“Dos Partes de Mí” was released in 2017, and refers to his flamenco origin and his parallel destiny as a universal musician. On this
album, he not only brought together colleagues and countrymen, but also featured the stellar collaboration of Cameroonian Richard Bona.
Antonio Rey is an artist who has brought flamenco art to the whole world and has been influenced by this universal contact.
In addition to honoring his great inspirations Paco, Vicente, Riqueni and Moraíto Chico, “Dos Partes de Mí” captured, in flamenco language,
the subtle beauty of the bolero, in which we are caressed by the crying of Bernardo Parrilla's strings and the unmistakable quejío by Diego el Cigala.
The “morao” spirit is present in the Soleá. The joy of love also finds a place in the Rumba that he dedicates to “Mi Luisa.”
The unusual sound world of Antonio Rey is a place where the rigidity of the Jonda tradition and the expressive ease of jazz meet, where
Andalusia and Africa embrace each other, where a picado tears our soul while a falseta soothes the heart, where the tones blur and then
come to light, where harmony and compass coexist, where freedom reigns.
In 2019 he collaborated with El Barrio, Pablo Alborán, Diego el Cigala and Richard Bona in the “Bona de la Frontera” tour concert. He recorded the live DVD
Dos Partes de Mí at the Palau de la Música Catalana during the Maestros de la Guitarra cycle. He published his fourth album “Dos Partes de Mi” in 2017,
with collaborations such as Richard Bona, Diego el Cigala and Farruquito.
His next album “Flamenco sin Fronteras”, in which Pablo Alborán and El Barrio collaborated, won the Latin Grammy for best flamenco album in 2020.
He was also awarded, at the initiative of Gerardo Núñez, the Giraldillo award for the best guitar concert in the Seville Flamenco Biennial 2020.
In 2024 he performed triumphantly at Carnegie Hall in New York along with a whole host of the greatest flamenco artists of today, including Karime Amaya,
Farru and Farruquito, the guitars of Al Di Meola, Josemi Carmona, Yerai Cortés, Rafael Riqueni, Niño Josele, José María Bandera and Pepe Habichuela,
Diego 'El Cigala', Duquende, Chonchi Heredia, Salif Keita, Carmen Linares, José Mercé, Sílvia Pérez Cruz and Makarines, among others.
His new album: “Historias de un Flamenco” has become the most listened to flamenco album of 2024, endorsing Antonio Rey as one of the great
stars of his art today.
