No Hay Quinto Malo

Biography

Niña Pastori is a Spanish flamenco singer (cantaora). She was born María Rosa García García in San Fernando (Cádiz) on 15 January 1978. The youngest of five siblings and only daughter of a military man (José) and gypsy flamenco singer La Pastori, she started her artistic career at a very young age. By the time she was six, she was accompanying her mother to the flamenco tablaos of her neighborhood, "el Boquete". A year later she won a contest in San Fernando, and since then she has been support...

Niña Pastori is a Spanish flamenco singer (cantaora). She was born María Rosa García García in San Fernando (Cádiz) on 15 January 1978. The youngest of five siblings and only daughter of a military man (José) and gypsy flamenco singer La Pastori, she started her artistic career at a very young age. By the time she was six, she was accompanying her mother to the flamenco tablaos of her neighborhood, "el Boquete". A year later she won a contest in San Fernando, and since then she has been supported by numerous artists that saw a big potential in the "Niña" (Spanish for girl). Her initial name was "La niña de la Pastori", but she later changed it to "Niña Pastori".

Among her first mentors was Camarón de la Isla, also from San Fernando (Cádiz), whose purist flamenco style she followed in her early years. Later she added a more commercial, pop tone to her image and style without losing her flamenco roots, and artists Paco Ortega and Alejandro Sanz helped her produce her first album, Entre dos puertos (Between Two Ports), when she was seventeen. The single Tú me camelas was a hit in Spain in summer 1996.

Her second album, Eres luz (You Are Light, 1998) confirmed her success, with songs again by Paco Ortega and Alejandro Sanz, Parrita, Manuel Malou and her brother Paco. In 2000 she published her third album, Cañaílla, produced by Alejandro Sanz and Josemi Carmona of the flamenco group Ketama; it is dedicated to her home town and more flamenco than the previous works. Her album María (2002) evolved to a more personal style, taking part in the lyrics and composition of some of her songs, a trend that she continued in No hay quinto malo, her fifth album (2004).

In Joyas prestadas (Loaned jewels, 2006), where Niña Pastori makes personal versions of songs originally by artists from very different styles and genres. The original artists include Joan Manuel Serrat, Alejandro Sanz, Mexican rockers Maná, Dominican artist Juan Luis Guerra, Antonio Machín, Manolo García of El Último de la Fila, Luz Casal, Armando Manzanero, Los Jeros or Marifé de Triana.

The last album released is Esperando Verte released in January 2009

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