ROSARIO : Soaring Beyond the Famous Family Launch Pad

Rosario is a member of the most famous pop family in Spain, so you would think she would have no trouble becoming one of that country’s most successful and acclaimed artists of the ‘90s.

But the 29-year-old daughter of legendary flamenco singer Lola Flores and musician-composer Antonio Gonzalez says her background was a mixed blessing.

“It did help me have an easier access to the key people in the industry, but once there, I was stuck like everyone else,” said Rosario during a visit to Los Angeles.

“It was rejection after rejection. Once it seemed that they finally wanted to sign me, I had to either dye my hair blond, become a femme fatale or let them choose my musicians and producers. I had to wait patiently before doing it my way.”

Rosario’s 1991 debut album, “De Ley” (“Genuine”), was an instant success in Spain and made her the most promising act in the flamenco-pop arena.

But she remains virtually unknown outside her native land. Her album, a soulful fusion of jazz, rock, bossa nova and rumba flamenca (a Gypsy-flavored version of the rumba that was created by her father), was originally released in the United States by Sony Discos early this year, but was lost amid other label priorities, mostly Mexican regional acts and romantic ballad singers.

Realizing Rosario’s potential, Sony’s new S.D.I. label has just re-released the record. Rosario will probably make her live U.S. debut at the annual Radio & Musica convention in Los Angeles in February. Meanwhile, she knows that all she can do is keep working on her music.

“It’ll take me some time to get to the exact fusion I want. ‘De Ley’ is a good sample of my plans, but I have a lot more things to do.”

As far as the American audience goes, she believes she’s made to order.

“Can you imagine? I’ll stand there and move my flamenco butt with a James Brown attitude but an inspiration that’s totally mine. The Americanos are going to flip with me.”