Paco de Lucía
The role of the flamenco guitar evolved considerably 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, Ramón de Algeciras, and flamenco singer, Pepe de Lucia, Paco de Lucia extended the former accompaniment-only tradition of flamenco guitar to include deeply personal melodic statements and modern instrumentation. His collaborations included ten albums with 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. His recordings with his sextet, which included his brothers Ramón 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 did not completely forsake 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 José 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. The renowned guitarist died suddenly and unexpectedly of a heart attack in Mexico in February 2014; he was 66 years old. The city of Algeciras, de Lucia's birthplace, declared two days of official mourning.
© Craig Harris /TiVo
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Discography
51 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller
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Friday Night in San Francisco (Live at Warfield Theatre, San Francisco, CA - December 5, 1980)
Al Di Meola, John McLaughlin, Paco de Lucía
Jazz - Released by Columbia - Legacy on 5 Dec 1980
Available in24-Bit/176.4 kHz Stereo -
Saturday Night in San Francisco - Live 12.6.80
Al Di Meola, John McLaughlin, Paco de Lucía
Jazz - Released by earMUSIC on 1 Jul 2022
Available in24-Bit/96 kHz Stereo -
Flamenco Jazz
Pedro Iturralde Quintet, Paco de Lucía
Jazz - Released by MPS on 1 Jan 1968
Available in24-Bit/88 kHz Stereo -
The Montreux Years (Live)
Flamenco - Released by BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd on 24 Feb 2023
Available in24-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
Concierto de Aranjuez (Edición 30º Aniversario)
Flamenco - Released by Universal Music Spain S.L. on 1 Jan 1991
Available in24-Bit/96 kHz Stereo -
Paco De Lucia, John McLaughlin, Al Di Meola
Paco de Lucía, Al Di Meola, John McLaughlin
Flamenco - Released by Universal Music Division Decca Records France on 1 Jan 1996
The Qobuz Essential DiscographyAvailable in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
Concierto de Aranjuez (Edición 30º Aniversario)
Flamenco - Released by Universal Music Spain S.L. on 1 Jan 1991
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
Canción Andaluza
Flamenco - Released by Universal Music Spain S.L. on 29 Apr 2014
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
Siroco
Flamenco - Released by Universal Music Spain S.L. on 1 Jan 1987
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
Concierto De Aranjuez
Paco de Lucía, Orquesta De Cadaques, Edmon Colomer
Flamenco - Released by Universal Music Spain S.L. on 1 Jan 1991
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
Entre Dos Aguas
Flamenco - Released by Universal Music Spain S.L. on 1 Jan 1981
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
La Búsqueda (Edición Deluxe)
Flamenco - Released by Universal Music Spain S.L. on 2 Dec 2014
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
Pepito y Paquito
Flamenco - Released by BMG Rights Management and Administration (Spain) S.L.U on 17 May 2024
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
Almoraima
Flamenco - Released by Universal Music Spain S.L. on 1 Jan 1976
The Qobuz Essential DiscographyAvailable in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
Luzia
Flamenco - Released by Universal Music Spain S.L. on 1 Jan 1998
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
Anthology
Flamenco - Released by Universal Music Spain S.L. on 1 Jan 2004
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
Paco De Lucia / Ramon De Algeciras En Hispanoamerica
Paco de Lucía, Ramón de Algeciras
Flamenco - Released by Universal Music Spain S.L. on 1 Jan 1969
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
Paco and John Live at Montreux 1987
Paco de Lucía, John McLaughlin
Flamenco - Released by earMUSIC Classics on 24 Jun 2016
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
12 Exitos Para Dos Guitarras Flamencas
Paco de Lucía, Ricardo Modrego
Flamenco - Released by Universal Music Spain S.L. on 1 Jan 1965
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
Paco De Lucia En Vivo (En Vivo Desde El Teatro Real / 1975)
Flamenco - Released by Universal Music Spain S.L. on 1 Jan 1975
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
En Vivo - Conciertos Live In Spain 2010
Flamenco - Released by Universal Music Spain S.L. on 1 Jan 2012
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo