01	Palenque						08:14
	02	Alta Mar			guitar intro composed by John McLaughlin			11:42
	03	Solo Quiero Caminar						09:50
	04	Chiquito						05:56
	05	Gitanos Andaluces						05:26

Paco de Lucia


Paco de Lucia, one of the greatest living guitarist in the world, was born Francisco Sanchez Gomez in Algeciras, a city in the province of Cadiz, in the Southernmost tip of Spain on December 21st, 1947. His stage name is an homage to his mother Lucia Gomez.
His father, Antonio Sanchez, a day laborer, played guitar at night as a way to supplement his income. He, Paco's elder brother Ramon de Algeciras and flamenco master Nia_"o Ricardo were de Lucia's main influences. His first performance was on Radio Algeciras in 1958. The brothers Ramon, Pepe (a singer) and Paco now compromise half of the Paco de Lucia sextet.
The training ground for a flamenco guitarist, de Lucia once said, "is the music around you, made by people you see, the people you make music with. You learn it from your family, from your friends, in la juerga (the party) drinking. And then you work on technique. Guitarists do not need to study. And, as it is with any music, the great ones will spend some time working with the young players who show special talent. You must understand that a Gypsy's life is a life of anarchy. That is a reason why the way of flamenco music is a way without discipline as you know it. We don't try to organize things with our minds, we don't go to school to find out. We just live........ music is everywhere in our lives."
The origins of the word flamenco are somewhat in dispute. Some argue that the word refers to the Flemish people who arrived in Spain in the 16th Century and once meant simply foreigner or non-Spanish. Others suggest that the word derives from the Arabic phrase "felah mengu," meaning pleasant in flight.
What is indisputable is that flamenco is a blend of the many cultures - Gypsy, Muslim, Jewish - that at one time settled in Andalucia, in the South of Spain. Their influences can be heard distinctively in the melisma of the singer, the rhythms, the slowly curling harmonic lines of the guitars.
Flamenco is, like the blues to which it is often compared, the music of a poor, disenfranchised minority. But it is also a complex art form that combines guitar playing, singing and dancing, setting off layers of powerful rhythms and emotions. Paco de Lucia was able to grasp these nuances at a very early age.
In 1958, at only age 11, de Lucia made his first public appearance and a year later he was awarded a special prize in the Jerez flamenco competition. At 14 he was touring with the flamenco troupe of dancer Jose Greco. He worked with Greco for three seasons.
It was while on tour with Greco in the United States that de Lucia met the great Sabicas, an influential guitarist whose name became synonymous with flamenco n the U.S., who encouraged him to pursue a more personal style. de Lucia would follow Sabicas' advice a few years later in his debut at Carnegie Hall in 1970.
"In flamenco, the guitarist first and foremost, must not get in his way of the singer," de Lucia once explained. "There is a dialogue going on. The cantaor (singer) sings the words. There are no songs per se in flamenco, just short lyrics, so the guitarist follows the call of the singer. Part of the tradition in flamenco is not playing too hard or too much. You need to support the singer, help him."
Back in Spain, he joined Festival Flamenco Gitano, an annual flamenco showcase tour that lasted for seven years, and recorded his first album in 1965, at the age of 18.
With La Fabulosa Guitarra de Paco de Lucia, released in 1967, de Lucia began to distance himself from the influence masters such as Ricardo and Mario Escudero and by Fantasia Flamenca, recorded in 1969, he had defined his own style. His superb technique was displayed in well structured pieces that departed from the flamenco tradition of theme and variations.
In 1968, he met Camaron de la Isla, one of the premier flamenco singers. Their association has been chronicled on more than 10 records. In fact, their album Potro de Rabia y Miel (1991), the first by them since 1984, was perhaps the last release by Camaron de la Isla, who died in 1992.
de Lucia's new style became more evident in El Duende Flamenco (1972). Fuente Y Caudal (1973) (which included the hit Entre Dos Aguas) and Almoraima (1976) which some consider a masterpiece. They were followed by Paco de Lucia Interpreta a Manuel de Falla (1980), a superb tribute to the classical composer who was an admirer of flamenco music, and, in 1981, Solo Quiero Caminar.
He has been criticized by flamenco die hards for his forays into other styles (his own sextet, organized in 1981), includes bass, drums, and saxophone) and his high profile collaborations, especially with jazz musicians, most notably with pianist Chick Corea and fellow guitarist John McLaughlin, Larry Coryell and Al DiMeola. But the often dazzling results of these collaborations have been documented in several releases including the guitar trio albums Castro Marin (1979), Passion Grace and Fire (1982) and Friday Night in San Francisco (1981). He has also recorded soundtracks for films such as Carlos Saura's Carmen, Borau's La Sabina, and the ballet Los Tarantos, presented at Madrid's prestigious Teatro de la Zarzuela in 1986.
However, as if to make a point, de Lucia returned to pure flamenco with a vengeance in the spectacular Siroco (1987), a brilliant summations of his style, and then zigzagged back towards fusion with Zyryab (1990), which featured his sextet augmented by pianist Chick Corea.
de Lucia shrugs off the complaints or the concerns that he might lose his roots or betray the essence of flamenco. "I have never lost my roots in my music, because I would lose myself," he once said. "What I have tried to do is have a hand holding onto tradition and the other scratching, digging in other places trying to find new things I can bring into flamenco."
"There was a time when I was concerned about losing myself," he added, "but not now. I've realized that, even if I wanted, I couldn't do anything else. I am a flamenco guitarist. If I tried to play anything else it would still sound like flamenco."
--- Fernando Gonzales




Paco de Lucia


One of flamenco's greatest guitarists, Paco de Lucia's innovations were countless; he pushed so many of the highly traditional form's boundaries - melodic, harmonic, rhythmic, and technical - that many consider him the father of modern flamenco. Blessed with a jazz guitarist's level of virtuosity, de Lucia has made occasional forays into that realm, but has also incorporated other musical forms - including Brazilian bossa nova and North African Muslim music - into his style. Additionally, de Lucia helped change the role of the instrumentalist in flamenco; previously, all but a few guitarists played secondary roles to the singers and dancers they accompanied, but de Lucia helped popularize the concert setting and the then-radical idea that flamenco could be performed with a full band. His audacity in stretching the form's traditions has been met with hostility from purists in Spain, but he was an enormous influence on a new generation of musicians that were eventually dubbed the nuevo flamenco movement.

Paco de Lucia was born Francisco Sanchez Gomez on December 21, 1947 in Algeciras, a port city in the Spanish province of Cadiz in the southern Andalusian region. His father, an amateur guitarist, encouraged the young Paco (the diminutive name of Francisco) and his brothers very early on, and Paco practiced hard starting at the age of five. He made his performing debut on local radio in 1958, with brother Pepe singing, and adopted the stage name de Lucia in honor of his mother, Lucia Gomez. The following year, he won a prestigious guitar competition at Jerez de la Frontera, and in 1961 he made his recording debut backing Pepe on the duet "Los Chiquitos de Algeciras." In 1963, only 14 years old, he joined dancer Jose Greco's troupe and toured internationally; while in New York, he met virtuoso guitarist Sabicas, who would become one of his chief influences along with Nino Ricardo and Mario Escudero. Upon returning to Spain, he and his family moved to Madrid in 1964; the following year, he recorded two albums with Ricardo Modrego and joined the annual package tour Festival Flamenco Gitano. In 1966, he cut three albums with his guitarist brother Ramon de Algeciras, and in 1967, he released his first solo album, La Fabulosa Guitarra de Paco de Lucia. 1968 saw de Lucia form a fruitful partnership with influential singer El Camaron de la Isla, which would produce more than ten albums and ended only with Camaron's death in 1992.


de Lucia's second solo outing, 1969's Fantasia Flamenca, found him breaking through into his own distinct style. He played Carnegie Hall in 1970, and continued his impressive development on 1972's El Duende Flamenco, but it was the following year's Fuente y Caudal that made him an international sensation, thanks in large part to the track "Entre Dos Aguas." 1976's Almoraima continued his groundbreaking hot streak; during the late '70s, he became interested in jazz fusion, and his appearance on Al DiMeola's 1977 album Elegant Gypsy drew the ire of flamenco purists. In 1978, de Lucia recorded an album tribute to the classical composer Manuel de Falla, an ardent flamenco fan, with the group Dolores; the following year, he recorded an all-acoustic trio album, Castro Marin, with fusion guitarists John McLaughlin and Larry Coryell.


de Lucia achieved his widest American audience yet with the 1980 recording Friday Night in San Francisco, another virtuosic acoustic trio with McLaughlin and Al DiMeola. The follow-up Passion, Grace and Fire was recorded in late 1982 and proved just as popular with both critics and jazz fans; also that year, de Lucia appeared on Chick Corea's Touchstone album, inaugurating a partnership that would endure for quite some time. In addition to his forays into the jazz world, de Lucia committed heresy (in the eyes of some) by forming a flamenco sextet with brothers Pepe de Lucia on vocals and Ramon de Algeciras on guitar, plus electric bassist Carlos Benavent and Dolores members Jorge Pardo (flute, soprano sax) and Rubem Dantas (percussion). This groundbreaking group was captured in full cry on 1984's Live...One Summer Night.


At the height of his eclectic powers, de Lucia pulled back from his modernizing influence and returned to the basics. In 1986, he formed a stripped-down trio with Juan Manuel Canizares and Jose Maria Banderas, and played with them until 1990. In 1987, de Lucia recorded perhaps the defining masterpiece of his career, Siroco, a pure flamenco record that effectively summarized all the major facets of his style. Having proven his point, de Lucia revived his sextet in 1990 for the Arabic-influenced Zyryab, which explored the musical connections between Andalusia and North Africa (and also featured Chick Corea). Taking an abrupt detour into classical music, de Lucia - much more a spontaneous player than a music reader - painstakingly learned Rodrigo's legendary Concierto de Aranjuez and recorded it in 1991 with the Orquesta de Cadaques, winning praise from the composer himself. 1993's Live in America chronicled de Lucia's sextet; three years later, he reunited with John McLaughlin and Al DiMeola for a new album, The Guitar Trio, and a world tour. de Lucia subsequently revamped his sextet into a septet with mostly new personnel, and in 1998 recorded an album tribute to his mother, Luzia, which proved to be some of his most traditionally grounded large-group flamenco. - Steve Huey



1981 Castro Marin PolyGram
1984 Live...One Summer Night Polydor
1984 Fabulosa Guitarra de Paco de Lucia Verve
1984 One Summer Night Mercury
1984 The Hit Soundtrack Mercury
1986 Entre Dos Aguas Polydor
1986 Solo Quiero Caminar Polydor
1987 Sirocco Verve
1991 Almoraima Philips
1991 Fuente Y Caudal Alex
1991 Recital de Guitarra Alex
1991 En Vivo [live] Philips
1991 Fosforito Iris Music
1992 Zyryab Verve
1992 Manuel De Falla Alex
1992 12 Canciones de Garcia Lorca Para Guitarra Alex
1992 El Duende Flamenco de Paco de Lucia [Import] Alex
1993 Concerto de Aranjuez [live] Verve
1994 Live in America Philips
1994 Hispanoamerica Philips
1994 Dos Guitarras Flamencas En America Latina Polygram
1994 El Duende Flamenco de Paco de Lucia [US] Polygram
1995 Fantasia Flamenca Philips
1995 Interpreta A Manuel De Falla Philips
1996 Guitar Trio: Paco de Lucia/John... Polygram
1998 Alcazar de Sevilla Records
1998 Luzia Polygram
1999 Canciones de Garcia Lorca Polygram
2000 Flamenco Romantico Orfeon
2000 Espana en Una Guitarra Orfeon
2002 Guitarra Flamenca Iris
2002 Guitare and Song Magnum
Festival Flamenco Gitano Bellaphon
Paco Island
Paco de Lucia en Vivo Dessde El Teatro Real
Passion, Grace and Fire

1981 Paco de Lucia Philips x
1982 Motive Series Philips
1990 Los Mejores Guitarras Kubaney
1991 4 CD Box Set Alex x
1993 Cante Flamenco, Vol. 1 Alex
1993 Cante Flamenco, Vol. 2 Alex
1993 Cante Flamenco, Vol. 3 Alex
1995 Grandes Guitarras Del Flamenco Alex
1995 Solo Quiero Caminar/Siroco/Zyryab Philips x
1995 Fuente Y Caudal/Almoraima/Castro Marin Philips x
1995 Paco de Lucia en Vivo Dessde El Teatro... Philips x
1995 12 Canciones de Garcia Lorca Para... Philips x
1996 Antologia, Vol. 1 Mercury
1996 Antologia, Vol. 2 Polygram
1996 Anthology of Flamenco Songs Iris
1996 Collection, Vol. 1 Alex
1996 Collection, Vol. 2 Alex
1996 Collection, Vol. 3 Alex
1996 Collection, Vol. 4 Alex
1996 Collection, Vol. 5 Alex
1996 Antologia del Cante Flemenco, Vol. 2 Iris
1996 Antologia del Cante Flamenco, Vol. 3 Iris
1996 Antologia Mercury
1997 Coleccion Mi Historia Polygram
1998 Collection Connoisseur
2000 Anthology of Flamenco, Vol. 1, 2 & 3 Iris