Antonio Martinez was born in 1964 and played in nearly all of the “Tablaos” of the country playing with Flanmenco singers with his Flamenco-Guitar. He studied with the prestigious guitar player MANOLO SANLUCAR and participated in different seminaries of Classic and jazz guitar acquiring a purified technique creating his very personal style with a great elegance in his repertory.
In 1985 become the First prize-winner of “Certamen Nacional” in Barcelona, and he was invited to perform a lot of Festivals all over Spain. After touring through Germany, Belgium and France, he recorded for the BBC London. He assisted twice in the Warwick & Leamington festival in England, in Roskilde Festival in Denmark and the 26th international jazz festival in Barcelona, in the Flamenco Festival in Cornella and in the Altaveu 1995 in Sant Boi de Llobregat. His talent of adaptation and perfectionism lead him to collaborate and play with most of the stars of the Flamenco scene, such as La Pelua, Amina, Jimenez Rejano, Gato Perez, Los Rolin, Ai Ai Ai, Rancapino etc.
He participated as well in diverse film music such as “Què t´hi jugues Mari Pili? of the Catalan director Ventura Pons, and performed the music for the short “La Virgen de la Alegria”, of the director José Manuel Campos obtaining the prestigious “Premio Goya 97”.
In 1992 he created the group CANDELA, fruit of the union with musicians of different backgrounds mixing cultures and sounds.
The music of this formation is a stroll through the different styles an “palos” of Flamenco: Alegrias, Soniquetes, Tangos and Bulerias fusioning with elements of Rock and Jazz, succeed in creating sensual and intimate atmospheres.
Naturalness and Art is the definition of the philosophy of CANDELA, a formation developing a brilliant Flamenco-Fusion charged with passion and scenic power.