Flamenco guitarist Paco de Lucia dies at 66
MADRID, Spain - Paco de Lucía, 66, the Spanish guitarist who
vastly expanded the international audience for flamenco and merged it with
other musical styles, died of a heart attack Tuesday evening in Mexico.
Mexican authorities said Mr. de Lucía was on vacation with
his family at the Caribbean beach resort of Playa del Carmen. Complaining of
chest pain, he was taken to a hospital and died en route.
The virtuoso, as happy playing seemingly impossible
syncopated flamenco rhythms as he was improvising jazz or classical guitar,
helped to legitimize flamenco in Spain at a time when it was shunned by the
mainstream.
"I learned the guitar like a child learns to
speak," he said in a 2012 documentary.
Born Francisco Sánchez Gomez, he became famous in the 1970s
after recording the best-selling album Entre Dos Aguas, becoming the first
flamenco musician to perform at Madrid's Teatro Real in 1975. Albums such as El
Duende Flamenco de Paco de Lucía and Almoraima reinvented traditional flamenco.
He toured extensively with well-known international artists
and played with the likes of Carlos Santana and Al Di Meola, happy to expand
flamenco rhythms into jazz, although that upset flamenco purists.
"It has been said, and rightly so, that Paco de Lucía
has never been surpassed by anyone and guitar playing today would not be
understood without his revolutionary figure," Spain's arts association
SGAE said in a statement.
Mr. de Lucía went on to record flamenco jazz fusion with Di
Meola and John McLaughlin in a series of now-legendary concerts, and also
recorded with Chick Corea.
He was highly acclaimed after his performance of Joaquín
Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez at London's Festival Hall in 1991, attended by
the composer himself, and considered one of the best interpretations of the
piece. Mr. de Lucía memorized the piece by ear, as he did not read music, and
gave it a distinctive flamenco flavor.
"With the guitar I've suffered a great deal, but when
I've had a good time, the suffering seemed worthwhile," he said in the
documentary.
He also formed a partnership in the 1970s with the singer
Camarón de la Isla that played a large part in creating the New Flamenco
movement.
A spokesman for the city hall in Algeciras, where Mr. de
Lucía was born, confirmed his death and said the city had decreed two days of
official mourning.
MADRID, Spain
- Paco de Lucía, 66, the Spanish guitarist who vastly expanded the
international audience for flamenco and merged it with other musical
styles, died of a heart attack Tuesday evening in Mexico.
Mexican authorities said Mr. de Lucía was on vacation with his family at the Caribbean beach resort of Playa del Carmen. Complaining of chest pain, he was taken to a hospital and died en route.
The virtuoso, as happy playing seemingly impossible syncopated flamenco rhythms as he was improvising jazz or classical guitar, helped to legitimize flamenco in Spain at a time when it was shunned by the mainstream.
"I learned the guitar like a child learns to speak," he said in a 2012 documentary.
Born Francisco Sánchez Gomez, he became famous in the 1970s after recording the best-selling album Entre Dos Aguas, becoming the first flamenco musician to perform at Madrid's Teatro Real in 1975. Albums such as El Duende Flamenco de Paco de Lucía and Almoraima reinvented traditional flamenco.Mexican authorities said Mr. de Lucía was on vacation with his family at the Caribbean beach resort of Playa del Carmen. Complaining of chest pain, he was taken to a hospital and died en route.
The virtuoso, as happy playing seemingly impossible syncopated flamenco rhythms as he was improvising jazz or classical guitar, helped to legitimize flamenco in Spain at a time when it was shunned by the mainstream.
"I learned the guitar like a child learns to speak," he said in a 2012 documentary.
He toured extensively with well-known international artists and played with the likes of Carlos Santana and Al Di Meola, happy to expand flamenco rhythms into jazz, although that upset flamenco purists.
"It has been said, and rightly so, that Paco de Lucía has never been surpassed by anyone and guitar playing today would not be understood without his revolutionary figure," Spain's arts association SGAE said in a statement.
Mr. de Lucía went on to record flamenco jazz fusion with Di Meola and John McLaughlin in a series of now-legendary concerts, and also recorded with Chick Corea.
He was highly acclaimed after his performance of Joaquín Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez at London's Festival Hall in 1991, attended by the composer himself, and considered one of the best interpretations of the piece. Mr. de Lucía memorized the piece by ear, as he did not read music, and gave it a distinctive flamenco flavor.
"With the guitar I've suffered a great deal, but when I've had a good time, the suffering seemed worthwhile," he said in the documentary.
He also formed a partnership in the 1970s with the singer Camarón de la Isla that played a large part in creating the New Flamenco movement.
A spokesman for the city hall in Algeciras, where Mr. de Lucía was born, confirmed his death and said the city had decreed two days of official mourning.
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/obituaries/20140227_Paco_de_Luca__66__guitar_great_and_flamenco_innovator.html#SYvkJ7DelqAvdxa0.99
MADRID, Spain
- Paco de Lucía, 66, the Spanish guitarist who vastly expanded the
international audience for flamenco and merged it with other musical
styles, died of a heart attack Tuesday evening in Mexico.
Mexican authorities said Mr. de Lucía was on vacation with his family at the Caribbean beach resort of Playa del Carmen. Complaining of chest pain, he was taken to a hospital and died en route.
The virtuoso, as happy playing seemingly impossible syncopated flamenco rhythms as he was improvising jazz or classical guitar, helped to legitimize flamenco in Spain at a time when it was shunned by the mainstream.
"I learned the guitar like a child learns to speak," he said in a 2012 documentary.
Born Francisco Sánchez Gomez, he became famous in the 1970s after recording the best-selling album Entre Dos Aguas, becoming the first flamenco musician to perform at Madrid's Teatro Real in 1975. Albums such as El Duende Flamenco de Paco de Lucía and Almoraima reinvented traditional flamenco.Mexican authorities said Mr. de Lucía was on vacation with his family at the Caribbean beach resort of Playa del Carmen. Complaining of chest pain, he was taken to a hospital and died en route.
The virtuoso, as happy playing seemingly impossible syncopated flamenco rhythms as he was improvising jazz or classical guitar, helped to legitimize flamenco in Spain at a time when it was shunned by the mainstream.
"I learned the guitar like a child learns to speak," he said in a 2012 documentary.
He toured extensively with well-known international artists and played with the likes of Carlos Santana and Al Di Meola, happy to expand flamenco rhythms into jazz, although that upset flamenco purists.
"It has been said, and rightly so, that Paco de Lucía has never been surpassed by anyone and guitar playing today would not be understood without his revolutionary figure," Spain's arts association SGAE said in a statement.
Mr. de Lucía went on to record flamenco jazz fusion with Di Meola and John McLaughlin in a series of now-legendary concerts, and also recorded with Chick Corea.
He was highly acclaimed after his performance of Joaquín Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez at London's Festival Hall in 1991, attended by the composer himself, and considered one of the best interpretations of the piece. Mr. de Lucía memorized the piece by ear, as he did not read music, and gave it a distinctive flamenco flavor.
"With the guitar I've suffered a great deal, but when I've had a good time, the suffering seemed worthwhile," he said in the documentary.
He also formed a partnership in the 1970s with the singer Camarón de la Isla that played a large part in creating the New Flamenco movement.
A spokesman for the city hall in Algeciras, where Mr. de Lucía was born, confirmed his death and said the city had decreed two days of official mourning.
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/obituaries/20140227_Paco_de_Luca__66__guitar_great_and_flamenco_innovator.html#SYvkJ7DelqAvdxa0.99
MADRID,
Spain - Paco de Lucía, 66, the Spanish guitarist who vastly expanded
the international audience for flamenco and merged it with other musical
styles, died of a heart attack Tuesday evening in Mexico.
Mexican authorities said Mr. de Lucía was on vacation with his family at the Caribbean beach resort of Playa del Carmen. Complaining of chest pain, he was taken to a hospital and died en route.
The virtuoso, as happy playing seemingly impossible syncopated flamenco rhythms as he was improvising jazz or classical guitar, helped to legitimize flamenco in Spain at a time when it was shunned by the mainstream.
"I learned the guitar like a child learns to speak," he said in a 2012 documentary.
Born Francisco Sánchez Gomez, he became famous in the 1970s after recording the best-selling album Entre Dos Aguas, becoming the first flamenco musician to perform at Madrid's Teatro Real in 1975. Albums such as El Duende Flamenco de Paco de Lucía and Almoraima reinvented traditional flamenco.Mexican authorities said Mr. de Lucía was on vacation with his family at the Caribbean beach resort of Playa del Carmen. Complaining of chest pain, he was taken to a hospital and died en route.
The virtuoso, as happy playing seemingly impossible syncopated flamenco rhythms as he was improvising jazz or classical guitar, helped to legitimize flamenco in Spain at a time when it was shunned by the mainstream.
"I learned the guitar like a child learns to speak," he said in a 2012 documentary.
He toured extensively with well-known international artists and played with the likes of Carlos Santana and Al Di Meola, happy to expand flamenco rhythms into jazz, although that upset flamenco purists.
"It has been said, and rightly so, that Paco de Lucía has never been surpassed by anyone and guitar playing today would not be understood without his revolutionary figure," Spain's arts association SGAE said in a statement.
Mr. de Lucía went on to record flamenco jazz fusion with Di Meola and John McLaughlin in a series of now-legendary concerts, and also recorded with Chick Corea.
He was highly acclaimed after his performance of Joaquín Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez at London's Festival Hall in 1991, attended by the composer himself, and considered one of the best interpretations of the piece. Mr. de Lucía memorized the piece by ear, as he did not read music, and gave it a distinctive flamenco flavor.
"With the guitar I've suffered a great deal, but when I've had a good time, the suffering seemed worthwhile," he said in the documentary.
He also formed a partnership in the 1970s with the singer Camarón de la Isla that played a large part in creating the New Flamenco movement.
A spokesman for the city hall in Algeciras, where Mr. de Lucía was born, confirmed his death and said the city had decreed two days of official mourning.
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/obituaries/20140227_Paco_de_Luca__66__guitar_great_and_flamenco_innovator.html#SYvkJ7DelqAvdxa0.99
MADRID,
Spain - Paco de Lucía, 66, the Spanish guitarist who vastly expanded
the international audience for flamenco and merged it with other musical
styles, died of a heart attack Tuesday evening in Mexico.
Mexican authorities said Mr. de Lucía was on vacation with his family at the Caribbean beach resort of Playa del Carmen. Complaining of chest pain, he was taken to a hospital and died en route.
The virtuoso, as happy playing seemingly impossible syncopated flamenco rhythms as he was improvising jazz or classical guitar, helped to legitimize flamenco in Spain at a time when it was shunned by the mainstream.
"I learned the guitar like a child learns to speak," he said in a 2012 documentary.
Born Francisco Sánchez Gomez, he became famous in the 1970s after recording the best-selling album Entre Dos Aguas, becoming the first flamenco musician to perform at Madrid's Teatro Real in 1975. Albums such as El Duende Flamenco de Paco de Lucía and Almoraima reinvented traditional flamenco.Mexican authorities said Mr. de Lucía was on vacation with his family at the Caribbean beach resort of Playa del Carmen. Complaining of chest pain, he was taken to a hospital and died en route.
The virtuoso, as happy playing seemingly impossible syncopated flamenco rhythms as he was improvising jazz or classical guitar, helped to legitimize flamenco in Spain at a time when it was shunned by the mainstream.
"I learned the guitar like a child learns to speak," he said in a 2012 documentary.
He toured extensively with well-known international artists and played with the likes of Carlos Santana and Al Di Meola, happy to expand flamenco rhythms into jazz, although that upset flamenco purists.
"It has been said, and rightly so, that Paco de Lucía has never been surpassed by anyone and guitar playing today would not be understood without his revolutionary figure," Spain's arts association SGAE said in a statement.
Mr. de Lucía went on to record flamenco jazz fusion with Di Meola and John McLaughlin in a series of now-legendary concerts, and also recorded with Chick Corea.
He was highly acclaimed after his performance of Joaquín Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez at London's Festival Hall in 1991, attended by the composer himself, and considered one of the best interpretations of the piece. Mr. de Lucía memorized the piece by ear, as he did not read music, and gave it a distinctive flamenco flavor.
"With the guitar I've suffered a great deal, but when I've had a good time, the suffering seemed worthwhile," he said in the documentary.
He also formed a partnership in the 1970s with the singer Camarón de la Isla that played a large part in creating the New Flamenco movement.
A spokesman for the city hall in Algeciras, where Mr. de Lucía was born, confirmed his death and said the city had decreed two days of official mourning.
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/obituaries/20140227_Paco_de_Luca__66__guitar_great_and_flamenco_innovator.html#SYvkJ7DelqAvdxa0.99
MADRID, Spain
- Paco de Lucía, 66, the Spanish guitarist who vastly expanded the
international audience for flamenco and merged it with other musical
styles, died of a heart attack Tuesday evening in Mexico.
Mexican authorities said Mr. de Lucía was on vacation with his family at the Caribbean beach resort of Playa del Carmen. Complaining of chest pain, he was taken to a hospital and died en route.
The virtuoso, as happy playing seemingly impossible syncopated flamenco rhythms as he was improvising jazz or classical guitar, helped to legitimize flamenco in Spain at a time when it was shunned by the mainstream.
"I learned the guitar like a child learns to speak," he said in a 2012 documentary.
Born Francisco Sánchez Gomez, he became famous in the 1970s after recording the best-selling album Entre Dos Aguas, becoming the first flamenco musician to perform at Madrid's Teatro Real in 1975. Albums such as El Duende Flamenco de Paco de Lucía and Almoraima reinvented traditional flamenco.Mexican authorities said Mr. de Lucía was on vacation with his family at the Caribbean beach resort of Playa del Carmen. Complaining of chest pain, he was taken to a hospital and died en route.
The virtuoso, as happy playing seemingly impossible syncopated flamenco rhythms as he was improvising jazz or classical guitar, helped to legitimize flamenco in Spain at a time when it was shunned by the mainstream.
"I learned the guitar like a child learns to speak," he said in a 2012 documentary.
He toured extensively with well-known international artists and played with the likes of Carlos Santana and Al Di Meola, happy to expand flamenco rhythms into jazz, although that upset flamenco purists.
"It has been said, and rightly so, that Paco de Lucía has never been surpassed by anyone and guitar playing today would not be understood without his revolutionary figure," Spain's arts association SGAE said in a statement.
Mr. de Lucía went on to record flamenco jazz fusion with Di Meola and John McLaughlin in a series of now-legendary concerts, and also recorded with Chick Corea.
He was highly acclaimed after his performance of Joaquín Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez at London's Festival Hall in 1991, attended by the composer himself, and considered one of the best interpretations of the piece. Mr. de Lucía memorized the piece by ear, as he did not read music, and gave it a distinctive flamenco flavor.
"With the guitar I've suffered a great deal, but when I've had a good time, the suffering seemed worthwhile," he said in the documentary.
He also formed a partnership in the 1970s with the singer Camarón de la Isla that played a large part in creating the New Flamenco movement.
A spokesman for the city hall in Algeciras, where Mr. de Lucía was born, confirmed his death and said the city had decreed two days of official mourning.
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/obituaries/20140227_Paco_de_Luca__66__guitar_great_and_flamenco_innovator.html#SYvkJ7DelqAvdxa0.99
Still in shock... it's so painful to be without el maestro. He was the FLAMENCO itself! He's gone but his legacy will remain forever! Great loss for the art, for the mucsic and of course el flamenco
ReplyDeleteTan Triste...and painful. Thank you for your comment.
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