Paco Fonta

Paco Fonta is internationally recognized as a foremost flamenco guitarist, singer, and composer. He has been praised as an accomplished singer of Cante Jondo, the most authentic, profound, and difficult of the flamenco styles. Born in a small town near Jaen in the Andalusia region of southern Spain, he began his professional career performing in tablaos and festivals accompanying singers and dancers, including such artists as La Nina de la Huerta and Antonio Molina. He later toured Europe with the Kurt Savoy Trio. In 1985 he won first prize in cante jondo at the flamenco festival in Jaen, Spain.

In 1986 Paco Fonta came with his wife Celia, also a well-known flamenco dancer to open the famous Cacharrito's Place Tablao in Miami. Since then Mr.Fonta has worked at all the tablaos in Miami and now produces his own flamenco show to sellout crowds at the Casa Panza Restaurant. Mr.Fonta works with several flamenco dance companies in the U.S. and abroad, most notably with Ballet Flamenco la Rosa based in Miami, Bailes Ferrer out of Ft.Lauderdale, The Ensemble Espanol from Chicago, and Carmen Garza Flamenco Ballet in Venezuela. Paco Fonta was a recipient of the Florida Folk Life Apprenticeship Program as a Master Artist for the years 1998-99, and 1999-00, has been performing at the Florida Folk Festival since 1998.

As a composer, he has collaborated on writing dance music for Ballet Flamenco la Rosa with vocalist, oud and dumbek player Joe Zeytoonian, with The Roach Thompson Blues Band, with Indian musicians Paul Leak and Steve Gorn, and most recently with the Afro Cuban dance company, Iroko.

Mr. Fonta's guitar can be heard on Gloria Estefans hit record"Cuts Both Ways", the new hit song"Tu Amor" by Olga Tañon, and many other recordings with Latin artists.

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