Flamenco singer `Chaqueton,' at 58

MADRID -- Jose Antonio Diaz Fernandez, or "Chaqueton," one of Madrid's well-known flamenco singers, died Dec. 29 of cancer in a local clinic, the newspaper El Pais reported Wednesday. Chaqueton, or "Big Jacket," was 58.

"He was a great singer, of a very deep and rough voice," El Pais flamenco critic Angel Alvarez Cabellero wrote. "Chaqueton lived dedicated exclusively to singing."

Born in 1945 in the southern town of Algeciras, he was descended from a dynasty of flamenco singing called "los chaqueta," or jackets. Critics always praised the way Chaqueton could sing all the different flamenco styles, according to the newspaper El Mundo.

Chaqueton began his career as a child, singing in the bar owned by his father, the singer called Flecha de Cadiz. Over the years, he performed with other important flamenco singers, including Camaron de la Isla.

He also toured the world with flamenco companies, including El Ballet de Maria Rosa. In recent years, he was known more for his solo concerts.