Paco de Lucía - Spain mourns the death of a maestro

Spain's Greatest Guitarist

I recently committed to posting something each month about art in Spain but after my video-post earlier in the week, I hadn’t anticipated doing another one so soon. Life has a habit of taking us by surprise, however, and since today at the age of just 66, Spain’s greatest guitarist, Paco de Lucia, departed for the great Flamenco ‘Peña’ (club) in the sky, of course I had to pay him homage.

Taking Flamenco to the World

Born Francisco Sánchez Gómez in Algeciras in the province of Cádiz in 1947, and known as Paco (a common nickname for Francisco) de (of) Lucía - his mother’s name, he is acknowledged as having elevated Flamenco music the national and international popularity it enjoys today. De Lucía also initiated a trend for Flamenco fusion that continues to evolve today despite its purist detractors.

De Lucía was responsable for music in a number of films including those of one of my favourite Spanish directors Carlos Saura, as well as collaborating with another Spanish Flamenco great, Camerón de la Isla and numerous international musicians.

There is no music like Flamenco to bring a tear to the eye but since the departure of Paco from the world has already brought too many today, I offer you an upbeat piece from a very young de Lucía. Watch the lightness with which his fingers move across the strings and frets appearing at times to be barely moving yet bringing forth perfect notes at the most amazing speed. 

R.I.P. Paco. I’m sure you’re still out there somewhere making heavenly music.