The role of the
flamenco guitar has evolved through the playing of
Paco de Lucia (born
Francisco Sanchez Gomez). The son of
flamenco guitarist Antonio Sanchez and the brother of a
flamenco guitarist, Ramon, and
flamenco singer, Pepe,
de Lucia has extended the former accompaniment-only tradition of
flamenco guitar to include deeply personal melodic statements and modern instrumentation. His collaborations have included ten albums with late
flamenco vocalist El Camaron de la Isla and work with American pianist
Chick Corea and the Guitar Trio, featuring guitarists
John McLaughlin,
Larry Coryell, and
Al DiMeola.
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His recordings with his sextet, which includes his brothers Ramon and Pepe, include such groundbreaking masterpieces as La Fabulosa Guitarra de Paco de Lucia, Fantasia Flamenca, Fuente y Caudal,
Almoraima, and Zyryab. Yet,
de Lucia has not completely forsaken
traditional flamenco. His 1980 album, Interpreta a Manuel de Falla, paid homage to the
classical composer and
flamenco enthusiast, while his 1987 album,
Siroco, marked a return to pure
flamenco. "I have never lost the roots in my music,"
de Lucia said during a late-'90s interview, "because I would lose myself. 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."
Born in Algeciras, a small city in southernmost Spain's Cadiz province,
de Lucia was bred to be a world-class musician. He trained with his father and brother from the age of five. Mastering the art of
flamenco guitar by his 11th birthday, he made his public performance debut on Radio Algeciras in 1958. A year later, he received a special award at the Festival Concurso International Flamenco de Jerez de la Frontera. Heralded as a child prodigy,
de Lucia was invited to join the
flamenco troupe led by dancer Jose Greco at the age of 16. He remained with the group for three years. A turning point in
de Lucia's musical development came while on tour with Greco's troupe in North America. Meeting
Sabicas, the first
flamenco guitarist to tour the world, he was instructed to pursue his own style of playing. Although he remained tied to
traditional flamenco on his first two solo albums -- La Fabulosa Guitarra de Paco de Lucia in 1967 and Fantasia Flamenca in 1969 -- and recorded ten albums accompanying
flamenco vocalist de la Isla,
de Lucia continued to seek a personal approach.
