In spite of her early age, Rocio Marquez is known as the “Star of the South”. This has everything to do with her extraordinary flamenco voice. It is a wondrously flexible instrument which embodies the essence of flamenco and at the same time reflects echoes from the past, soft and versatile with a large pallet of emotions.
Rocio Marquez, the new queen of the mine worker’s song, was born in Huelva (Andalucía) 22 years ago.
She was the striking winner of the Cante Flamenco’s most prestigious prize for youngsters: the Lámpara Minera 2008.
The young singer then was the winner in no less than 4 disciplines. No one had obtained a success of that kind since 1993, when a certain Miguel Poveda performed at the festival/competition in La Union.
She has been singing since her very early childhood in the typical Fandango-classes of the local Peña Flamenca in Huelva. At the age of merely 9, she won the “Premio de Fandangos de Huelva”!
At the same time, she took up her studies at the Conservatory; a training which she succeeded with excellence.
She was 11 when she participated in the MENUDAS ESTRELLASshow on the Spanish TV-station ANTENA 3 – and won the “bronze star”.
A few months later, she obtained the “Primer Premio de Artistas Noveles” in the Cancion Española genre, in a contest organized by radio station Cope. This success led her to decide to enlarge her repertoire and knowledge. Later on in the same year, she again competed in the “melodic song” genre. Again she won.
At about the same time, she also took up singing training in Seville with Gloria Muñoz. A teacher with whom she still collaborates.
During this period, she was invited to perform in several shows on various TV-chains: “Esos Locos Bajitos” and “De Buena Manera” on ANTENA3 ; “A Tu Lado” on Tele 5; “Senderos de Gloria”, “De Tarde en Tarde” and “Veo,Veo”  (Hispamusic prize) on Canal Sur Andalucia and “Flamencos” on Canal 2 Andalucia.
A few years later, she moved to Seville, where she combined her studies with a more specific flamenco training. In 2005, she was granted a scholarship by the “Cristina Heeren” foundation. It allowed her to take classes with flamenco artists such as Jose de la Tomasa, Paco Taranto and Laura Vital. Furthermore, she acted as a vocal assistant in guitar classes of Pedro Sierra, Jose Luis Postigo and Eduardo Rebollar, among others. She still is a vocal teacher for the new students’ courses.
Early 2007, she was chosen to perform the lead role in the show “El Cafe de Chinitas” at the Teatro Muñoz Seca, Madrid, and this during 2 months.
Tegenwoordig volgt ze nog steeds een opleiding muziekdocente én zingt ze op talrijke Flamencofestivals- en concours´.
De meest opvallende prijzen hierin zijn :
Primer Premio en el VI Concurso Nacional de Arte Flamenco 2007 (Mijas, Malaga)
Premio Fosforito en el Concurso de Jovenes Flamencos de Calasparra
Premio Especial a la mejor Colombiana en Marchena
1° Premio Nacional de Cantes Mineros XIV Festival de Cante Flamenco Ciudad de Jumilla
Primer Premio de Cante de Alhaurin de la Torre(Malaga)
Lámpara Minera 2008 del Festival de La Union
Recently, she has participated at the “8 Provincias” tour of the Huelvan flamenco peñas’ federation, as well as the “Rutas Flamencas 2008” & “Flamencos en Ruta 2009” , organized by respectively the Agencia Andaluza para el desarollo del Flamenco and the A.I.E.
As important have been her numerous shows in flamenco peñas all over Spain, as well as important events such as the Cumbre Flamenca de la CAM(Murcia), “La Noche Larga de los Museos”(Seville) and the IX Encuentro de las Artes y las Letras de Iberoamerica organized by the International University of Andalucia. This in addition to many other prizes and festival which have soon lifted her career up to an impressively high level.