Sonia Cortés: flamenco tradition with a contemporary soul

The story of Sonia Cortés is one of a life dedicated to flamenco art, a career marked by a family legacy and a versatility that helps her to stand out of the crowd in the current flamenco climate. 

Flamenco roots: a family legacy

To talk about Sonia Cortés is to talk about a flamenco artist that has grown surrounded by flamenco. On her paternal side, the Pucherete family, there are up to four generations of flamenco guitarists, including her grandfather, who accompanied the legendary Carmen Amaya and who appears in the film, Los Tarantos. On her mother’s side, the flamenco bloodline continues with the Remolio family and dancers like her mother, Amparo Cortés, or her aunt, Carmen Cortés. This artistic background influenced her childhood, surrounded as she was by flamenco dresses, rhythms and stamping feet. 

From a young age, she showed a special sensitivity for flamenco music and she still has recordings where she is singing with her father when she is barely three years old. Although she began her training in flamenco dance at the Dance Conservatory in front of the Teatro Real, her love of singing was stronger. 

From flamenco dance to flamenco singing: a natural step on the stage

Her first experience as a singer on the stage was almost accidental. While she was dancing with a flamenco dance group, the principal flamenco didn’t show up and Sonia decided to take his place. From then, her career changed direction: flamenco singing took centre stage and she began to form part of important flamenco companies such as that of Antonio Najarro, Antonio Márquez and the New Spanish Ballet.

Her voice has taken her to prestigious venues, such as the International Monetary Fund in Washington DC or to the Teatro Real in Madrid, where she performed with the Young Symphonic Orchestra of Seville. She has even shared the screen with Rocio Jurado in her last TV programme, Rocio Siempre.

A flamenco artist in constant evolution

Sonia Cortés does not simply repeat formulas. Her musical ambitions have led her to explore new forms of expression within flamenco, incorporating elements of jazz and rock. She has covered versions of artists such as Ray Charles and Billie Holiday, bringing a fresh look that enriches her way of understanding the arte jondo, as flamenco is also known. This broadening of musical horizons doesn’t take away from the depth of her flamenco performances, rather adding new layers of emotion and authenticity to her flamenco singing.

Sonia Cortés: committed to flamenco studies

At the same time as her artistic career, Sonia is also an advocate for flamenco education. On finishing her dance training, she became the youngest specialist flamenco singer to join the Madrid Conservatory as a teacher, the same one that she had studied in as a youngster. This stage in her career reflects her commitment with passing on knowledge and her vocation to educate new generations of flamenco artists.

Sonia Cortés: on the Madrid flamenco scene

At the moment Sonia forms part of the cast at Teatro Flamenco Madrid, as well as collaborating with flamenco venues such as Café de Chinitas, Corral de la Morería, Sala Almonte or Torre Bermejas, where her voice continues to excite audiences night after night. She has also recently taken part in her first flamenco musical, singing and dancing flamenco with Pascual Gaona and Pedro Ojesto, reaffirming her capacity to integrate different disciplines in the same flamenco show. 

Sonia Cortés: a flamenco artist that leaves her mark

With a career marked with respect for her flamenco roots and her desire to evolve, Sonia Cortés is one of those flamenco artists that manage to connect with the audience from truth. Her flamenco singing has tone and depth and a unique personality which make her instantly recognisable. 

At Teatro Flamenco Madrid we are proud to have her presence on stage every night. Her talent, her authenticity and her commitment make every flamenco show an unforgettable experience for those who love flamenco, from the heart and with the five senses. Get your flamenco show tickets here and enjoy Emociones, the best daily, live flamenco show in Spain.