| José Mercé | |
| Background: | solo_singer |
| Birth Name: | José Soto Soto |
| Birth Date: | 1955 4, df=y |
| Birth Place: | Barrio de Santiago, Jerez de la Frontera, Andalusia, Spain |
| Genre: | Flamenco |
| Occupation: | Singer, composer, guitarist |
| Instrument: | Guitar |
| Years Active: | 1967–present |
| Associated Acts: | Mario Maya, El Güito, Carmen Mora, Antonio Gades, Enrique De Melchor, Tomatito, Vicente Amigo and Moraito |
José Mercé (born José Soto Soto in 1955 in Jerez de la Frontera) is a Spanish flamenco singer. As a 12-year-old he performed at flamenco festivals. Later he moved to Madrid where he recorded his first album in 1968.
He is the great-grandson of nineteenth-century seguiriya maestro Francisco Valencia, whose nickname was Paco la Luz.
He is also the nephew of Manuel Soto Sordera, the patriarch of Jerez flamenco. Mercé's nickname comes from his participation in the choir of the Basilica de la Merced when he was a boy.[1]
The youthful Mercé became one of the most sought-after singers for accompanying dance, and he has worked with the Trío Madrid, formed by Mario Maya, El Güito and Carmen Mora. From 1973 to 1983 he joined the company of Antonio Gades, with which he travelled half-way around half the world and took part in the film Bodas de Sangre, by Carlos Saura.
He has also worked with guitarists Enrique De Melchor, Tomatito, Vicente Amigo and Moraito.