Falete

Alhough this 30-year-old flamenco singer had been performing in Europe for more than a decade, it was only after his debut solo recording, Amar Duele (Love Hurts), was released when he became a star in his own right. Born Rafael Ojeda in Seville, Spain, Falete boasts a larger-than-life stage presence, choosing colorful outfits that enhance his dancing, which appears to come at great ease in spite of his heavy frame.

It also helps that he possesses a powerful and dramatic voice. It's a skill he picked up early in his career, because many flamenco troupes play throughout Spain with little or no amplification. Though emotion is expected from any singer in that genre, Falete still pours it out. He seems to approach each song as if it were the last one he'd ever sing, drawing immediate audience response.

His back-up instrumentation, meanwhile, is quite sparse, with little more than Spanish guitars, palmas, and a few backing singers. But this is what the genre is all about: focusing on the guitars, vocals, and steps.