Paco Peña

This disc, which contains live and studio performances, captures differing styles of flamenco through some of the most important names in the genre: Paco Peña, Diego el Cigala (Dieguito), Manolo Domínguez the Losada brothers, and Paco del Gastor. It includes traditional tracks but also shows that flamenco is an ever-developing tradition.

Flamenco is hotly emotional. An art form that has its origins in Arab influenced Andalusian folk music, adopted and adapted by the Gypsies only in the last two hundred years or so, flamenco has deeper roots and connections. It is true world music, partly because so many different peoples, cultures and religions have lived across southern Spain and also because geographically Andalucía is the gateway to the Mediterranean and the Americas across the ocean, and the bridge between Europe and Africa.

Flamenco involves three performing arts – song, guitar and dance. The quality of the voice is directly linked to the historical and social background of the music. There is a certain roughness that encompasses uncompromisingly strong emotions. The flamenco singing is sometimes of the Muslim call to prayer – not surprising as it was once heard all over Andalucía. The guitar provides us with further blending of east and west in its use of melodic lines accompanied by more exotic sound, key and time structures. And the dance embodies the passion, delirium and fire of southern Spain. The mix of the three expresses the soul of the region.

Flamenco, with its roots in love and tragedy, contains a spiritual force which bridges both the secular and religious dimensions of human experience.

"From the early days in which I decided to launch my Company, I set out to bring onto the stage a true rendition of what the Art of Flamenco represents: a

spontaneous collaboration between artists of different disciplines, i.e. musicians, dancers and singers who inspire one-another to reach as far as possible into their artistic endeavors so as to create a unique and unrepeatable experience every time; a performance that is new and surprising to themselves as much as it is to any audience present.Flamenco rhythms are vital; the compás is like a primal pulse, like the rhythm of the earth…and everyone must get to feel its power! I hope this live recording of the show gets close to that reality."

Paco Peña

Forty years ago Paco Peña gave his first ever full-length solo guitar recital at the Wigmore Hall. At that time it was an unusual event, as the general concept of flamenco was as a particular kind of Spanish folk music, based around passionate dancing, with the guitar providing rhythmical and skilful accompaniment. The tradition of playing solo goes back a century or more and is well expressed through the flamenco compositions of Ramón Montoya. Others have followed, Niño Ricardo, Sabicas, Paco de Lucía, to name a few, all creating compositions of their own within the compass of flamenco, while not losing the ability to accompany.

On the contrary, the same searching spirit for creating solos is no less apparent in the striving of the guitarist to accompany singers and dancers, all of which adds to flamenco as a living art form.