Rumba Catalan: El Gitano Portugués on Discophon 1970-1973

Born Joaquín Caldera Cardoso, El Gitano Portugués is one of my personal favorite Catalan rumberos. Between 1970 and 1973 he released 8 singles and one full album (El Gitano Portugués 1972) on the spanish Discophon label. He might not be as famous as The King of Catalan Rumba, Peret, but certainly doesn't lack the quality. Especially the two songs featured here never stop to amaze the listener and always shake up the dancefloors. Similar to El Noi (one of my other unjustly unknown favorites), El Gitano Portugués loves to add latin percussion (plus piano and brass) to his Rumba-Flamenco strumming, and combined with his raw pleading vocals (and therefore reminiscent of the gritty southern soul voices), will touch your heart and move your body. Flamenco purists will hate it, but you just cannot deny the funk in it. In short, it just gives you another reason to love Barcelona. Check out the tunes below and listen where Manu Chao got his inspiration!
El Gitano Portugués

Side A: Procura (Joaquín Caldera)
Side B: Odio (Deths-Ruiz Padilla)
Label: Discophon (1970)


sample: Procura

El Gitano Portugués

Side A: Que No, Que No (J. Garcia Moreno-Carlos Caballero)
Side B: Solo (J. Garcia Moreno-M.A. Espionosa-Ruiz de Padilla)
Label: Discophon (1972)


sample: Que No, Que No

other singles:
El Gitano Portugués - Fui a Bahia/Los Limones (Discophon 1970)
El Gitano Portugués - Rebola Bola/O Belen du pai (Discophon)
El Gitano Portugués - Es de Portugal/Dalila (Discophon 1971)
El Gitano Portugués - Chando Mio/Lloro (Discophon 1972)
El Gitano Portugués - Buenas Noches/Pena Pena (Discophon 1973)
El Gitano Portugués - Caray, Caray/Ya Hay Amor (Discophon 1973)