Paco de Lucía

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. 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...