Lole y Manuel was a gitano (Spanish Romani) musical duo formed by singer Dolores Montoya Rodríguez (b. 1954) and guitarist Manuel Molina Jiménez (1948–2015). They composed and performed innovative flamenco music between 1972 and 1993. The music is recognized for the emotive, yet sweet voice of Lole Montoya and the operatic, flashy guitar of Manuel.
This couple was the first exponent of flamenco music aimed at a non-exclusively flamenco audience. They were one of the precursors to the musical stream called "New flamenco".
Lole and Manuel were married a professional couple. Both are members of Romani families of artistic descent. Manuel was the son of Manuel Molina Acosta, better known as "El Encajero", who was a professional guitar player.
Lole is the daughter of flamenco singer and dancer Antonia Rodríguez Moreno, better known as "La Negra", and her father was the dancer Juan Montoya. Their daughter is the singer Alba Molina.
Their groundbreaking first album Nuevo Día, decisively produced by flamenco producer Ricardo Pachón, fused traditional Spanish flamenco with Molina's poetic lyrics by Juan Manuel Flores and foreign styles and influences. Nuevo Día (1975), was released without promotion and ultimately became a critical and commercial success. The LP introduced instruments that had never before been used in the genre, such as the mellotron.
