Profile Text
el Cigala in 2015, photo by StockPhotoAstur /Bigstock.com
Birth Name: Diego Ramón Jiménez Salazar
Place of Birth: Madrid, Spain
Date of Birth: 27 December, 1968
Ethnicity: Spanish Romani
Diego el Cigala is a Spanish Romani flamenco singer and musician. He is known for his Gypsy flamenco music. He has won two Grammy Awards and been nominated for eight Latin Grammys. He also has Dominican Republic citizenship.
Diego was born to an intellectual, artistic family. He is a Gitano [Spanish Gypsy]. Gitanos, like all Romani, are usually a mixture of the people of the country they inhabited. Diego’s family were talented gypsy artists. He is a nephew of musicians Rafael Farina (Rafael Antonio Salazar Motos) and Rafael Salazar Motos, who both sang Copla and Flamenco. His first cousin, once removed, is singer Tamara (Tamara Macarena Valcárcel Serrano).
He was married to Amparo Fernández, until her death.
Diego’s paternal grandfather likely was named Antonio Salaza Motos. Antonio was a cattle dealer.
Diego’s paternal grandmother likely was named Jesusa Motos.