#69- PACO DE LUCIA

Paco de Lucía (b. December 21, 1947) is an internationally recognized Spanish flamenco guitarist, and leading proponent of the New Flamenco style. He is the son of flamenco guitarist Antonio Sánchez, and brother of flamenco singer Pepe de Lucía and flamenco guitarist Ramón de Algeciras. Not only does he dominate in flamenco, he is one of the very few flamenco guitarists who is also talented in other genres of music, e.g. jazz, classical, and world music. Many think that Paco fluently goes into these territories and plays like no other, whereas some purists of these other genres will state that he is just making a venture and is still a flamenco player at heart, lacking the pure jazz style. He is the winner of 2004 Prince of Asturias Awards in Arts.

De Lucía was born Francisco Sánchez Gómez in Algeciras, a city in the province of Cádiz, in the southernmost tip of Spain and Europe, the youngest of five children. He adopted the stage name Paco de Lucía in honor of his mother, Lucía Gómez.

In 1958, at age 11, De Lucía made his first public appearance on Radio Algeciras, and a year later he was awarded a special prize in the Jerez flamenco competition. In 1961, he toured with the flamenco troupe of dancer José Greco. Between 1968 and 1977, he enjoyed a fruitful collaboration with fellow New Flamenco innovator Camarón de la Isla. The two recorded 10 albums together.

De Lucía has toured and recorded with Al Di Meola and John McLaughlin as well as his own Paco de Lucía Sextet (which includes his brothers Ramón and Pepe). He has released several albums encompassing both traditional and modern flamenco styles. Through his wide discography he has given rise to a new way of understanding flamenco and has launched his music and his instrument to a level comparable to modern jazz performers.

Being recognized as a talented guitarist, many consider him the master of rasqueados and picados. He is also considered to have a great command of blinding speed on the nylon string guitar.

Until being asked to perform and interpret Joaquín Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez in 1991, De Lucía had never learned how to read musical notation. While learning to play the Concierto as a flamenco guitarist, where rhythm and pace is essential, he preferred to risk giving the listener a 'dirty' note when being forced to go from low to very high notes rather than to displace the rhythm and pace just to keep the notes clean. He felt that as a flamenco guitarist he could interpret the Concierto in a fashion not previously done. Joaquín Rodrigo declared that no one had ever played his composition in such a brilliant manner.

Source: Wikipedia

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