G2E Ep 002: Paco de Lucía

Goes2Eleven continues its tribute to guitar heroes with flamenco superman Paco de Lucía. We discuss Paco’s traditional flamenco roots and his explorations beyond the folk form into jazz and world music, plus his legendary collaboration with Camerón de la Isla, and Paco’s chart-topping trio with Al Di Meola and John McLaughlin.

INTRO

A reminder to G2E listeners to subscribe to the show on iTunes, Stitcher, or RSS feed, and to check us out on Facebook and Twitter. Recordings: Matthew Cochran, “Cicadas at the Equinox” from Vapor Trail from a Paper Plane

PART ONE: WE ALL PRETTY MUCH LEFT OUR HEART IN SAN FRANCISCO (1:07)

Paco de Lucía was a towering figure of Nuevo Flamenco by the early 1980’s. But if you’re of a certain age, chances are good that Friday Night in San Francisco was your introduction to the guitarist. Recordings: Paco de Lucía, Al Di Meola and John McLaughlin, “Rio Ancho/Meditteranian Sunrise” from Friday Night in San Francisco

PART 2: AN OVERVIEW OF FLAMENCO CULTURE AND GUITAR PLAYING (5:02)

We take a look at the connection between flamenco music and dance, and discuss some of the most common techniques employed by flamenco guitarists, such as rasgeuado and golpe. Recordings: Paco de Lucía, “Doblan Campanas” from El Duende Flamenco de Paco de Lucía; Sabicas, “Bularias” from Sabicas: the Greatest Flamenco Guitarist. Commercial Break: Bernunzio Uptown Music

PART 3: AN IMPECCABLE PEDIGREE (12:02)

The guitarist we know as Paco de Lucía was born Francisco Gustavo Sánchez Gomes, December 21, 1947 in Algeciras. Paco’s earliest recordings pay homage to his upbringing in a flamenco incubator. Recordings: Niño Ricardo, “Zapateado” from The Spanish Guitar, the Flamenco Masters; Paco de Lucía, “Llanto a Cádiz” from La Fabulosa Guitarra de Paco de Lucia; Camerón de la Isla and Paco de Lucía, “Por Cositas Malas” from Castillo de Arena. Commercial Break: Santa Cruz Guitar Company

PART 4 PACO’S MATURE STYLE (25:45)

The term “mature” may be a misnomer because Paco never stood still long enough to get pegged down musically. Instead, we tell the story about a musical nomad who constantly circled back to his flamenco roots, gaining wider appeal with each pass. Recordings: Paco de Lucía, “Entre dos aguas” from Fuente y caudal; Paco de Lucía, “A La Perla de Cadiz” from Almoraima; Paco de Lucía, “Ritual fire Dance” from Paco de Lucia Interprets Manuel de Falla; Paco de Lucía, “Zyryab” from Zyryab

Part 5: CONCLUSION (51:45)

Recordings: Paco de Lucía, “Doblan Campanas” from El Duende Flamenco de Paco de Lucía