Delfín Amaya dies, one of the two souls of the Catalan rumba duo Los Amaya
The 74-year-old musician expanded the genre's horizons with songs like 'Caramelos' and 'Vete'
BarcelonaThe musician Delfín Amaya (Oviedo, 1954 - Barcelona, 2026) died on Sunday at the age of 74 in Barcelona, according to the Europa Press agency. Delfín Amaya formed the duo Los Amaya together with his brother José (A Coruña, 1952) in the 70s in Barcelona. Both of Romani ethnicity and relatives of the dancerCarmen Amaya, they became one of the main exponents of Catalan rumba thanks to a musical proposal that combined tradition with more contemporary sounds of the genre and fusion with pop melodies and electric guitars. The duo will always be remembered for songs like Vete and for having performed at the closing ceremony of the Barcelona Olympic Games.
In the sixties, they started performing at gypsy parties with the guitar until they made their professional debut in 1969 with a highly acclaimed first album and songs like Los Campanilleros. In the early 70s, Los Amaya began to taste success thanks to their version of the Latin American classic Caramelos. Delfín Amaya immediately stood out as one of the most imaginative guitarists of Catalan rumba, with a fresh and often daring phrasing, especially when the rhythm was faster.
The duo met the producer Tony Ronald in 1978, who signed them to his record label. That's when "the golden age of the Amaya brothers, with the creation of themes such as The injection, Go, Love love, What bad luck I have! and Tell him to come back. The group worked with musicians like Max Sunyer and Carles Benavent and achieved success beyond Catalonia. Their songs, especially the popular Go, it was also danced in Europe, in America – especially in Miami and Mexico – and in some Asian countries.
In the 90s, they returned to popularity thanks to their appearance at the closing ceremony of the Barcelona Olympic Games. There they shared the stage with other artists closely linked to Catalan rumba such as Peret and Los Manolos.
Los Amaya recorded their last album in 2013. It was titled They're back... The Amaya! and it marked their record return after years without releasing new material. On that album, they reinterpreted their great classics with various guest artists such as Bebe, Antonio Carmona, and Muchachito Bombo Infierno.