{{Short description|Spanish flamenco singer (1848–1906)}}{{More citations needed|date=May 2026}}[[File:Enrique El Mellizo.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Enrique El Mellizo]]'''Enrique Jiménez Fernández''' (1 December 1848 – 30 May 1906), known as '''Enrique el Mellizo''' was a famous [[flamenco]] singer, the most influential one in the development of the Cádiz flamenco styles. Together with [[Silverio Franconetti]] and [[Antonio Chacón]], he is considered to be one of the most important figures in the development of flamenco. He was the author of one of the most important [[Malagueñas (flamenco style)|malagueña]] styles, and is reported to have created or developed some styles of [[Soleares]], [[Alegrías]], and [[Tango (flamenco)|Tangos]]. An oral tradition also states that he was the creator of the [[Tientos]].<ref name=":0" />
==Biography== According to his birth certificate, he was born in [[Cádiz (province)|Cádiz]], the son of Antonio Jiménez, slaughterman. The name of the mother is omitted, noting that he was an illegitimate son. In spite of his nickname ''Mellizo'' (meaning ''twin''), he had no twin brothers, but inherited the nickname of his father.
He inherited his father's profession, and performed only occasionally in the [[café-chantant|cafés cantante]] in Cádiz,<ref name=":0" /> refusing to become a professional. He never travelled out of his native town. Nevertheless, his fame grew in all Andalusia, and singers from other towns travelled to Cádiz to hear him.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Enrique ‘El Mellizo’ - RomArchive |url=https://www.romarchive.eu/en/flamenco/enrique-el-mellizo/ |access-date=2026-05-16 |website=www.romarchive.eu}}</ref> According to some testimonies, he had a moody character. Although he was normally a sociable character, he fell into crises in which he escaped all company in solitary places. He died at 58 years old, of tuberculosis.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Enrique ‘El Mellizo’ - RomArchive |url=https://www.romarchive.eu/en/flamenco/enrique-el-mellizo/ |access-date=2026-05-16 |website=www.romarchive.eu}}</ref> Although at the time of his death, some flamenco recordings have already been done, he never went into a recording studio. His styles, though, were preserved by other singers, mainly from Cádiz, who knew them directly or indirectly. His legacy has been kept alive by singers like his brothers Enrique and Antonio, [[Aurelio Sellé]], [[El Niño de la Isla]], [[Manolo Vargas]], [[La Perla de Cádiz]], [[Chaquetón]], [[Pericón de Cádiz]], [[Manolo Caracol]], [[Chano Lobato]] and many others.
== His musical legacy == The main creation of ''El Mellizo'' was his [[Malagueñas (flamenco style)|malagueña]], totally innovative at the time, which approximated this style, originally not linked to [[Gitanos|gypsies]], to the more gypsy style of singing. According to tradition, he created that malagueña style after a love disappointment in which he fell into one of his periods of solitary wandering. During that time, he went into a church and was inspired by a priest singing the [[preface]] to the Catholic [[Mass (liturgy)|mass]]. In remembrance of this, the preface of the mass is sometimes sung nowadays as an introduction to his malagueña. The style certainly bears some reminiscence to a liturgic [[chant]].
According to the opinion of critics, it was Enrique el Mellizo who first sang the malagueña as a [[Cantes libres|cante libre]], that is, without a definite [[Metre (music)|metre]] or rhythmic regular pattern.
Other contributions that are attributed to him (mostly based on oral tradition and unproved) are the following:
* He was the first to sing [[Alegrías (flamenco)|Alegrías]] as ''cante para escuchar'' (song for listening), as opposed to ''cante para bailar'' (song for dancing). Originally, Alegrías were a [[palo (flamenco)|palo]] ([[musical form]]) intended for dance only. He would have enriched the melodic line to make them apt as recital pieces. * He was the creator of [[tientos]], basing its melodies on styles of flamenco [[Tango (flamenco)|Tangos]]. This theory is contested by critics who think it was singer [[Diego El Marruro]] who did this. * He created or developed several styles of [[Soleares|soleá]]<ref name=":0" /> * He contributed to the development of flamenco [[tango (flamenco)|tangos]], enriching it musically. * He was the creator of the ''[[Saetas|saeta]] por seguiriyas'', applying features of the [[siguiriyas|seguiriya]] to traditional [[saetas]] * He also created or developed several [[siguiriyas|seguiriya]] styles.
== References == <references />
==External links== * [http://www.tristeyazul.com/artflam/melizo01.htm Biography (in Spanish)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061231085907/http://www.tristeyazul.com/artflam/melizo01.htm |date=2006-12-31 }} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20060826103345/http://www.andalucia.org/flamenco/palos/resultado.php?palo=19&prov=MA&idioma= Samples of Malagueña del Mellizo] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20061215140642/http://perso.wanadoo.es/siguiriya/sigclas.htm#mellizo1 Samples of seguiriya styles by ''El Mellizo''] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20061026013221/http://perso.wanadoo.es/siguiriya/solearec.htm#mellizo1 Samples of soleares styles by ''El Mellizo'']
==Sources== ÁLVAREZ CABALLERO, Ángel "Enrique el Mellizo, un gigante" in ''El cante flamenco'', Alianza Editorial, Madrid, 1998
MARTIN SALAZAR, Jorge: ''Los cantes flamencos'', Diputación provincial de Granada
{{authority control}}{{DEFAULTSORT:Enrique el Mellizo}} [[Category:1848 births]] [[Category:1906 deaths]] [[Category:Musicians from Cádiz]] [[Category:Singers from Andalusia]] [[Category:Flamenco singers]] [[Category:19th-century Spanish male singers]]