India Martinez

An accomplished flamenco singer from a young age, India Martinez has become one of the genre's most intriguing contemporary performers thanks to her fusion of Hindu and Arab music with the sound of her Andalusian roots. Born in Cordoba in 1985, she began studying flamenco at age five, and after moving to Almeria with her family, regularly sung in the town's cafes under the name of "La Nina del Puerto". In 1998, she reached the final of children's TV talent contest Veo, Veo, which led to spots at various festivals, flamenco penas, and competitions, one of which earned her a scholarship to the Cristina Heeren Foundation in Seville. In 2003, she released her debut album, Azulejos de Lunares, but spent most of the decade concentrating on recitals at both Spanish and international forums. In 2009, she returned with her world music-inspired sophomore disc, Despertar, and followed it up in 2011 with Trece Verdades. ~ Jon O'Brien, Rovi