Rafael Riqueni, born in 1962 in the Triana district of Seville, showed extraordinary talent from a very young age: he debuted as a flamenco guitar soloist at twelve, and at fourteen won Spain’s two most important national guitar awards, distinctions he would win again in 1981.

In 1986 he released Juego de Niños, the first chapter of a discography that would become essential in Spanish music. The album introduced innovative harmonic ideas that defined his personal style, strongly influenced by classical music. His second album, Flamenco, became a cult classic, featuring historic pieces such as the Minera “Villa Rosa.” His definitive breakthrough came with Mi Tiempo (1990), confirming him as one of the great innovators of flamenco guitar.

He continued with Suite Sevilla (1992), a conceptual work inspired by flamenco and shaped by the aesthetics of Spanish musical nationalism, followed by Maestros (1994), his tribute to legends such as Niño Ricardo, Esteban de Sanlúcar and Sabicas. In 1996 he released Alcázar de Cristal, his last album before a twenty-one-year withdrawal caused by a personal tragedy. During this period, he made only rare appearances, most notably with Enrique Morente.

His long-awaited return came in 2014 at the Bienal de Flamenco, where he received the Giraldillo for Mastery. In 2015 he premiered Parque de María Luisa in a historic concert, and the album was published in 2017 by Universal Music, marking the comeback of one of the greatest geniuses of contemporary flamenco.

Riqueni continued expanding his legacy with Herencia in 2021 and Nerja in 2025, consolidating a mature and creatively expansive artistic phase.

Riqueni’s music is rooted in flamenco but evolves through classical and contemporary influences. Critics such as Norberto Torres highlight his affinity with the Romantic aesthetic—formal freedom, emotional depth and complex harmonic development—while others point to his innate musicality and exquisitely refined touch, qualities that place him among the most sensitive and distinctive guitarists of his generation.