This is not usual: a flamenco singer and saxophonist. But that is exactly the case of Antonio Lizana, from San Fernando, Cádiz, who picked up the saxophone at 10 years old with the initial desire of emulating the heroes of symphonic rock. He ended up studying classical music at the conservatoire and jumping to jazz thanks to various seminars given by Jerry Bergonzi, Dick Oatts, Jim Snidero and Perico Sambea and, above all, after completing advanced studies at Musikene in the Basque Country with teachers such as Mikel Andueza, Guillermo Klein, Jordi Rossi, Bob Sands, Miguel Blanco, Perico Sambeat, Andrej Olejnizak and Guillermo McGuill.

In Musikene he set up Antonio Lizana Group and his first disk, De viento, was edited in 2012, followed by Quimeras del mar (2015) and Oriente (2017). His music is a tremendously organic synthesis of jazz and flamenco; an entertaining journey between meditation and dance; a trip with various stops between San Fernando and New York.

Lizana has recently been awarded with the Cádiz Joven award, in acknowledgement of his work. He also belongs to the world music group Gabacho Maroconnection. In 2014 he collaborated with his surprising adaptation (sung by flamenco tientos) of the third Gnossiene by Eric Satie on the last Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra album by Arturo O’Farrill, ‘The Offense of the Drum’ which won a Grammy for the best Latin jazz album.  A year later he had taken on more Satierismos in the album of the same name by Afrodisian Orchestra, where he acted as a saxophonist, flamenco singer and music arranger.

His large musical résumé includes work with Miguel Ríos, Chambao, Raimundo Amador, José Mercé, Rancapino, Los Atlánticos, India Martínez, Hipnotik and Fernando Lobo. He has worked with jazz flamenco artists such as Guillermo McGill, Pablo Martín Caminero, Juan Parrilla and the pianist Manuel Carrasco. His collaboration with the Big Bands of Andalusia (directed by Zé Eduardo) and Las Palmas (directed by Francisco Blanco “Latino”) is also noteworthy.