Paco de Lucia

Biography

Paco De Lucia was born on 1947 as Francisco Sánchez Gómez and adopted his artistic name in honor to his mother, Lucia Gómez, he is the youngest of five sons. His father Antonio and his brother Ramon gave him the first lessons on guitar when Paco was five years old. 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. In 1958 he stops to go to school to concentrate on the guitar and he plays his first performance in public in Radio Algeciras with his brother Pepe on cante. 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.

His family moves to Madrid and he enter José Greco's Company, with whom he'll go on his first tour abroad as guitarist 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 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 sets 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 Antológica 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 meets Camaron de la Isla with whom 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), wich was recorded. 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. 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, founded by Jorge Pardo and Rubem Dantas, a tribute to Falla, entitleddaccompanied by the group Dolores, founded by Jorge Pardo and Rubem Dantas, a tribute to Falla, entitled Paco de Lucia interpreta a Manuel de Falla.

In 1981 he sets up the sextet: Jorge Pardo on flute, Carles Benavent on bass, Rubem Dantas on percussion, Ramon de Algeciras on guitar and Pepe de Lucia singing. Paco de Lucia Septet gave several concerts in all the world and in 1984 they record a live album called Live One Summer Night. 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, the author of the concert, who was present on the sessions, commented "Nobody has played my concert with so much passion and intensity" . In 1993 he records his second live record with the sextet, titled Live in America.

In 1996, 13 years after their first meet, he gets together with Al di Meola and John McLaughlin and record an album: The Guitar Trio, which is followed by a world tour. Two years later he recorded his tribute L. P. to his mother: Luzia and started a world tour with a partial renovated Septet: Duquende instead of Pepe de Lucia, José María Banderas replacing Cañizares and Joaquín Grilo in the place of Manuel Soler.

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