Spanish singer Carlos Cano dies of heart attack

Apart from writing his own songs, 54-year-old Cano popularised the folkloric "copla" of his home region of Andalusia and rescued older songs which might otherwise have lapsed into obscurity.

Born into a working-class family in Granada, Cano went at age 18 to Paris where he became acquainted with Spanish flamenco musicians. Working as a mason in Barcelona, he wrote his first song, "Miseria" (Misery) at age 24.

A lover of nature and of the Andalusian people, Cano refused to be labelled a political songwriter, but his songs often expressed left-wing political ideas, and he was declared persona non grata during the right-wing dictatorship of General Francisco Franco (1939-75).

Cano's best-known songs included "El gallo de Moron" (The rooster of Moron), "Si estuvieran abiertas todas las puertas" (If all doors were open) and "A traves del olvido" (Through oblivion). "Maria la Portuguesa" (Maria the Portuguese) was dedicated to Fado singer Amalia Rodrigues, while "Cronicas granadinas" (Granada chronicles) was reportedly a favourite of Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini.

Cano enriched traditional music by bringing in new influences such as Latin rhythms. His death surprised doctors who had expected him to improve after he underwent surgery for the rupture of an aorta in November.

(la/dpa)