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Nuevo Flamenco, or new flamenco, was the name given during the 1980's to a younger generation of flamenco artists influenced by other contemporary and traditional musics. It is a hybrid music that is for the most part a long way from the traditional forms of it's roots, though still retaining much of the spirit, excitement and inspiration.

Jazz in particular is a big influence, but also rock and pop music has contributed to the "verse and chorus" style of writing, and the use of repeating melodic "hooks". There is also usually the strong rhythmic influence of a south american mix of salsa and rumbas, all contributing to this interesting new fusion.

The most important early pioneers of New Flamenco are the virtuoso guitarist Paco de Lucía and vocalist Camarón de la Isla. Between 1968 - 79 they pursued a very creative collaboration, producing 10 albums, introducing "...many fresh musical concepts into the traditional and somewhat 'dusty' music style that flamenco had become" (Wikpedia). Paco de Lucía went on to develop flamenco music in many different directions and has forever changed how contemporary guitarists relate to flamenco music, and stretching its traditional limitations.

Popular artists such as the French group Gypsy Kings also helped to bring both progressive and traditional flamenco to a wider audience. Ottmar Liebert is one of the more commercially successful Nuevo Flamenco artists, ironically calling his first platinum-selling (though relatively tame) album Nouveau Flamenco, as a tongue in cheek reference to Nouveau Cuisine. Canadian Jesse Cook is another talented exponent. During the 90's and in part due to the commercial success of some of these above-mentioned artists, a lot of young gypsies musicians began building on this style.

The formula for the success of this music is accessibility - never too technical, and always familiar, by incorporating jazz, bossa nova, tango , rhumba, classical, and of course flamenco guitar sounds, often mixed with an assortment of other instruments.

The Australian latin / flamenco band Poco Loco incorporate piano accordian and flute as well as percussion, and have a huge vocal presence. (Nuevo flamenco guitarists usually pride themselves on the use of the right hand fingering technique of classical and flamenco guitar, but B.J. Ferrier is a plectrum-style guitarist because he also plays piano and accordian and finger nails do not survive that part of his musical journey).