Star guitarist Paco Cepero hails from Jerez, albeit that he lacks gypsy roots. He began to teach himself the guitar when he was eight, his main influences being Diego del Gastor, Javier Molina Cundí and Rafael del Águila. Cepero is renowned for his enormous knowledge of the flamenco repertoire. What distinguishes him is the purity of his guitar playing, elaborating on the traditions of preceding generations. He is the master of the specific guitar techniques of Jerez, including the 'Alzapúa', a thumb technique.
He has accompanied countless flamenco singers since the 1970s, not only in live concerts, but also in the recording studio. A number of the most well known are Manolo Caracol, La Paquera, Perrate, La Perla de Cádiz, Terremoto, El Lebrijano and Camarón! In all this, Paco Cepero has seldom made any commercial concessions. Since his return to Jerez in 2000, he has concentrated solely on 'flamenco puro'. Besides being a flamenco guitarist, he is a highly talented composer and has launched numerous hits in the Spanish-speaking world. More than eight hundred numbers bear his signature, including several of Julio Iglesias's box-office successes.