PACO DE LUCIA

Paco de Lucía, born Francisco Sánchez Gómez (in Algeciras, Cádiz on December 21, 1947), is a Spanish composer and guitarist. He is recognized as a virtuoso Flamenco guitarist all over the world, sometimes called one of the greatest guitarists of all time, in any genre. He is a leading proponent of the Modern Flamenco style, and is one of the very few flamenco guitarists who have also successfully crossed over into other genres of music. He enjoys, and has been a successful musician in, many styles such as classical, jazz and world music. He is the winner of the 2004 Prince of Asturias Awards in Arts, and is the uncle of Spanish pop singer Malú.

Paco was born Francisco Sánchez Gómez in Algeciras, a city in the province of Cádiz, at the southernmost tip of Spain directly in front of the Rock of Gibraltar. The youngest of the five children of flamenco guitarist Antonio Sánchez, and brother of flamenco singer Pepe de Lucía and flamenco guitarist Ramón de Algeciras, he adopted the stage name Paco de Lucía in honor of his Portuguese mother, Lucía Gomes. In Algeciras, and generally in Andalusia, it is a custom to call boys (especially if they have the same first name) adding the mother's name in order to properly identify them, such as "Paco de (la) Carmen", "Paco de (la) María", and so on.

Paco De Lucia was born in the suitable atmosphere to be trained as flamenco guitarist, receiving technical knowledge from his father and his brother Ramon since he was seven He has as mentors, just to name a few, the guitarists, Nino Ricardo, Miguel Borrull, Mario Escudero and Sabicas, however, it is important to make stand out of the figure of his father, Antonio Sanchez who in D. E. Pohren's opinion, Paco de Lucia's biographer, designed a "master plan" to make his son Paco into the history's greatest flamenco guitarist. Constancy in the study and contract with the flamenco world were the basic premises of the plan.

After a training period (1952-58) he plays his first performance in public in Radio Algeciras in 1958. In 1959 he obtains the special award in the Festival Concurso Internacional Flamenco de Jerez de la Frontera. He accompanies on singing to his brother Pepe in the duet "Los Chiquitos de Algeciras" obtaining a special award in Jerez in 1962. He goes on his first tour abroad as guitarist to accompany singing and dance on Josè Greco's Company in 1963.

In New York, he comes into contact with Sabicas and Mario Escudero, however, Paco De Lucia will be considered as part of the Guitarist School on Nino Ricardo, He moves with his family to Madrid in 1964. He records two albums with Ricardo Modrego in 1965, with popular themes from Garcia Lorca and three records with his brother Ramon de Algeciras. His father set up a flamenco club in the basements of Los Gabrieles where Paco de Lucia could listen to the singing of the most outstanding flamenco singers of that period. He records, accompanying singing of A. Fernandez Diaz Fosforito the Seleccion Antologica del Cante Flamenco, accompanying also to Lebrijano and he collaborates on recording with the jazz saxophonist, Pedro Iturralde.

In 1967, he goes on a tour with the Festival Flamenco Gitano, year in which he records his first solo record, La fabulosa guitarra de Paco de Lucia where it can be noticed the influence of Nino Ricardo, Sabicas and Mario Escudero. In 1968, in the Torres Bermejas plank floor he knows Camaron de la Isla with shom he will record more than 10 records until he dies in July 1992. In 1969 he records Fantasia Flamenca which, in some way, defines his style when he was 22. It begins a glorious period for Paco de Lucia that finishes in the huge guitar recitals of the seventies, as the one performed in the Palau de La Musica, Barcellona (1970), and the one at the Teatro Real, Madrid (1975). In 1973 he records Fuente y Caudal included the famous hit "Entre dos Aguas" that will make him famous.

Since 1977 he gets in touch with the guitarists Al Di Meola, John McLaughlin and Larry Corryell with whom he will give several concerts in that which Paco de Lucia defines as mixing of players but not of musics and they will record two records.

In 1977 he gets married with Casilda Varela, they have three children.

From his contact with jazz, it will emerge a period of searching in the melodies and harmonies developed up to that date without separating for the pure flamingo style. In 1978, he records, accompanied by the group Dolores, a tribute to Falla, being a big significance in the musical circles of the Spanish political transition. 

In 1981 he sets up the sextet: Pardo, Benevent, Dantas, de Algeciras and Pepe de Lucia. 
He keeps in contact with Chick Corea since 1982, which will be the beginning of a fruitful collaboration between the two players.

In 1986, Paco de Lucia comes into a phase of his career that closes in some way the circle opened since his record tribute to Falla, returning to that music with solo guitar. The sextet won't come back to the spotlight until 1991 including Manuel Soler as flamenco dancer and percussionist. In 1986 he settles a trio with J.M. Bandera and J. M. Canizares that will survive until 1990. With the release of the record Siroco (1987) Paco reaches unsuspected results, since it implies the culmination of his aesthetic ideals. In 1990 he releases Ziryab with the sextet and the collaboration of Chick Corea. In 1991 he records with Orquesta de Cadaques Concierto de Aranjuez from J. Rodrigo. In 1993 he records his second live record with the sextet, titled Live in America.

In 1958, at age 11, Paco made his first public appearance on Radio Algeciras, and a year later he was awarded a special prize in the Jerez flamenco competition. In 1961, he toured with the flamenco troupe of dancer José Greco. In 1964, Paco met Madrileño guitarist Ricardo Modrego with whom he recorded three albums: Dos guitarras flamencas, Dos guitarras flamencas en stereo, and Doce canciones de Federico García Lorca para guitarra. Between 1968 and 1977, he enjoyed a fruitful collaboration with fellow New Flamenco cantaor (singer) Camarón de la Isla. The two recorded 10 albums together.

In 1979, Paco, John McLaughlin and Larry Coryell formed "The Guitar Trio" and together made a brief tour of Europe and released a video recorded at London's Royal Albert Hall entitled "Meeting of Spirits". Coryell was later replaced by Al Di Meola, and since 1981, the trio has recorded three albums under that line-up. Paco's own band, the Paco de Lucía Sextet (which includes his brothers Ramón and Pepe) released the first of its three albums that same year. Paco has released several albums encompassing both traditional and modern flamenco styles. In 1995, he recorded with Bryan Adams the hit song and video "Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman" on the soundtrack for the movie Don Juan DeMarco. Through his wide discography he has advanced the technical and musical boundaries of his instrument. The University of Cadiz recognized de Lucía's musical and cultural contributions by conferring on him the title of Doctor Honoris Causa on March 23, 2007.

Until asked to perform and interpret Joaquín Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez in 1991, de Lucía was not proficient at reading musical notation. As a flamenco guitarist, de Lucía claimed in Paco de Lucía-Light and Shade: A Portrait that he gave greater emphasis to rhythmical accuracy in his interpretation of the Concierto at the expense of the perfect tone preferred by classical guitarists. Joaquín Rodrigo declared that no one had ever played his composition in such a brilliant manner. Since de Lucia was not able to read music, he worked on his interpretation of the concerto with Narciso Yepes.

The complete recordings of Paco de Lucia: 

"Los Chiquitos de Algeciras" with Pepe de Lucia (1961)
"Dos guitarras flamencas en stereo" and "Doce Exitos para dos guitarras flamencas" with Ricardo Mondrego (1965)
"Musica Clasica transcrita para guitarra", "Canciones andaluzas para dos guitarras" and "Dos guitarras flamencas in America Latina" with his brother Ramon de Algeciras (1966)
"La Fabulosa guitarra de Paco de Lucia" (1967)
"Fantasia Flamenca de Paco de Lucia" (1969)
"El duende flamenco de Paco de Lucia (1972)
"Fuente y caudal" (entre dos Aguas) (1973)
"Paco de Lucia en vivo desde el Teatro Real" (1975)
"Almoraima" (1976)
"Paco de Lucia performs Manuel de Falla" (with the group Dolores) (1978)
"Solo Quiero Caminar" (1981)
"Friday night in San Francisco (1981) and "Passion, Grace and Fire" (1983) with J. McLaughlin and Al Di Meola.
"La guitarra de oro de Paco de Lucia" (2 vols) (1982)
"Live one Summer Night" (1984) 
"Siroco" (1990)
"Ziryab" (1990)
"Concierto de Aranjuez" (1991)
"Live in America" (1993)

Other recordings accompanying singing of Fosforito, Naranjito de Trina, El Lebrijano (with Nino Ricardo), El Sevillano, Carmen Moreno, Chato de la Isla, Manolo Vega and Camaron (1968-92). Paco de Lecia en Moscu ('86) 

He composes and performs the soundracks for the films "la Sabina", " The Hit", "Carmen", "Montoyas y Tarantos" and "Sevillanas".