Paco de Lucia, Renowned Flamenco Guitarist, Dies at 66

Paco de Lucia, Renowned Flamenco Guitarist, Dies at 66(nytimes.com)

70 points by trekkin 12 years ago | 16 comments

muyuu 12 years ago |

Together with Andres Segovia, he's the reason why Spanish (and classic) guitar is not considered merely a pop instrument nowadays.

It may seem strange nowadays because we are living in the musical aftermath of geniuses like these, but guitar wasn't taken seriously until the 20th century. It wasn't in the league of the piano, but rather in the league of the harmonica and the bongos.

anaphor 12 years ago | |

I would also throw in John Williams as a great popularizer of classical guitar (for example check out his renditions of Satie's gymnopedies and such). That's not to say that he is any better or more important.

muraiki 12 years ago | | |

To clarify for some who might not be aware of the difference: anaphor is referring to a guitarist named John Williams, not the composer.

christiansmith 12 years ago |

I was fortunate enough to see him perform twice in Boston. Once at Symphony Hall with Di Meola and McLaughlin, and once at the Orpheum with the dancers and everything. He was to his instrument what Tesla was to electricity. He made it come alive in a way that no one else could imagine.

I can't count the hours I've listened to his records while coding. It seems to induce a unique state of inspired concentration unlike anything else.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fl8RBIr_WY

Goodbye Paco.

RockyMcNuts 12 years ago | |

With Di Meola and McLaughlin - always blows me away

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlaCZ106b5w

js2 12 years ago | | |

This is fantastic. Thanks!

oggy 12 years ago |

So sad to hear this. There are many great guitar players out there, but to me he was probably the greatest. Technically he was impeccable, but that's not it... his playing just had some crazy fervor to it. Some of his stuff is just, if you don't feel it, you must be dead. I know that playing his music will be out of my technical reach forever, but dang it I just wish I could replicate that fervor in my playing (or in anything else, come to think of it) just a couple of times in my life...

In any case, I'm really grateful to have had the chance to see him play live two times. Off to put "Live... One Summer Night" on. Gracias por todo, maestro.

fdej 12 years ago |

Sad news. I wouldn't call myself a fan, but Entre Dos Aguas is one of my favorite instrumental guitar albums.

If anyone needs cheering up: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89zM9pZzt0U

sam 12 years ago | |

This one is the true classic: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2oyhlad64-s

hackerews 12 years ago |

He was the greatest guitarist ever. Wrote a quick tribute: http://katsenblog.com/post/77916159815/paco-de-lucia

gordaco 12 years ago |

Wow, I didn't expect this to appear on nytimes or HN. This is kind of a big deal in Spain, but I didn't know he was that well known in the US. Anyway he was widely considered one of the best Spanish guitar players ever, so it's understandable. He played a lot along with Camarón de la Isla (or just Camarón), one of the pioneers of flamenco-fusión.

gcv 12 years ago |

Listening to de Lucia's Entre dos Aguas album now — stunning work.

Meta: delighted to see a story about such a wonderful musician on HN. Sad that it's an obituary.

epsylon 12 years ago | |

I'm surprised and delighted as well. But he deserves it. Paco was the extraordinary combination of talent and hard work. He was an extreme outlier in both those things, a technical virtuoso with a musical soul. He was true to his flamenco roots, but he was an innovator as well, playing with countless artists from different genres, and helping flamenco music become popular worldwide.

He was a legend and without a doubt one of the greatest musicians of the century. May he rest in peace.

josh-wrale 12 years ago |

"With the guitar I've suffered a great deal, but when I've had a good time, the suffering seemed worthwhile," he said in the documentary.

Well put. I feel this way about computers in general (and the guitar).

anaphor 12 years ago |

Okay, this is really sad. I got into his music a while ago when I was exploring classical and traditional guitar. His rendition of Joaquin Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez is absolutely brilliant.

deaquino 12 years ago |

Descanse en paz Maestro!