Rocío Marquez & Bronquio
If you want to understand where the future of flamenco is heading, you need to listen to El Tercer Cielo by Rocío Márquez and Bronquio.
Rocío Márquez, from Huelva, is one of the most innovative voices in contemporary flamenco. Deeply rooted in traditional cante, she is also fearless when it comes to experimentation. Bronquio, an electronic music producer from Jerez de la Frontera, brings a completely different background: dark techno, industrial textures, and the endless creative possibilities of digital sound.
Together, they created El Tercer Cielo (2022), an album that deconstructs flamenco and electronic music, stripping each to their emotional and rhythmic core before merging them into something radically new. Instead of simply layering electronic beats over flamenco, Rocío Márquez and Bronquio go deeper: they dismantle both traditions, rebuild them from scratch, and create a raw, transcendent experience that feels simultaneously ancient and futuristic.
Tracks like “El corte más limpio” showcase this unique fusion—where traditional quejíos (flamenco cries) meet pounding basslines, glitched-out beats, and minimalist production. The result is not just a fusion: it’s an emotional and sonic earthquake.
Many critics and flamenco enthusiasts are already comparing El Tercer Cielo to La Leyenda del Tiempo (1979) by Camarón de la Isla—a groundbreaking album that, back then, forever changed the perception of flamenco by introducing elements from rock, jazz, and psychedelia. Similarly, El Tercer Cielo marks a turning point for 21st-century flamenco, demonstrating that the genre is alive, evolving, and ready to conquer new spaces without losing its soul.
This album is not just about breaking musical boundaries; it’s about honoring flamenco’s deepest spirit—its need to express raw emotion—while opening the door to a global, electronic future.
By Elisa