Perhaps it would not be amiss to recall his first London concert at the Wigmore Hall, Friday 15 February 1976.
The foyer of the Wigmore Hall was full of guitarists mingling with aficionados in a hum of humanity, before filling the auditorium where they settled down to await the slightly late entrance of the almost unannounced debut recital of today's young king of flamenco - Paco de Lucia.
He came on, holding his Conde Esteso 'Black Flamenco' (rosewood back and sides instead of cypress), sat down, crossed his right leg over his left and in an unsmiling, casual manner (holding his guitar as most of us do when we are playing to ourselves), began with a melodic introduction which eventually led into an Algerias in the minor before developing into the major key. The tempo was easy but some of the runs were taken at lightning double speed which shot up the temperature of the performance although not of the duende. This was no ordinary run-of-the-mill flamenco style. If you have based your flamenco on Sabicas, forget it. Everything about this style is different as evidenced by the Tarantas which followed.
The traditional trills and legatos were there, very clearly defined but in a different level, played with a finesse and freedom that should have been highly charged with emotion but somehow weren't; perhaps the mask-like expression of the player with eyes shut did not help. There was no helpful programme nor did the soloist announce the titles of his offerings, the next of which was a Guajira which, as everything else he played, was recognisable by its strong compas or beat.
The variations and the rhythm sailed along freely, incorporating some popularly recognisable melodies like Leonard Bernsteins's America (West Side Story) and Canarios.
Then, changing the cejilla from the 1st to the 2nd fret, he went into an exciting and somewhat original Bulerias. Paco de Lucia certainly does not play traditional flamenco; perhaps it is an offshoot of flamenco, but whatever it is, it is played with complete mastery, abandon and freedom and makes some of the older masters sound very square. And yet is does not emit the deep emotion and great excitement of Niño Ricardo - the founder of this school.
Paco has the great gift of playing a clear melody so that the rhythm accompaniment is perfectly balanced, even to the interpolation of Falla's Miller's Dance.
For his fifth offering, he returned the cejilla to the 1st fret, and gave an outstanding rendering of a Medio Granadina in which he showed his artistry by relegating the accompanying arpeggios to their rightful position and balance, thereby allowing the melody to ride freely and clearly. Then, to my surprise, he 'rasgueadoed' into the old Panaderos Flamencos note for note like the 25 year old record of Vincente Gomez but a few notes faster, and I must say it was nice to hear one of the first flamenco pieces I had ever transcribed and played, but, I may add, with fireworks!
The second half began with a Rondena in very Moorish mood and developed with many sweeps and flourishes but with no great attempt at any dynamics. When he grabs a chord he grabs it, and when he plays a double speed run it is like a supersonic dive bomber, relentless until the bottom is reached.
The Zapateado which followed was a perfect exhibition of the triplet form of dance. If only a fleet-footed dancer could have made it a perfect duet.
One cannot say that the Soleares which followed illustrated what its name traditionally means. There was nothing lonely or forlorn about it, but a search for the new, although some of the falsetas were recognisable and well used. The Soleares changed to a faster tempo and finished with a flourish of alzapua - fascinating thumb work.
Again a change of compas, this time to a Fandango which was played excellently and in perfect tempo. He was then joined by his brother Ramon de Algeciras, who seemed to bring out Paco's lighter nature and actually produced some reserved smiles. He should do this more often!
His brother's guitar (also a Conde Esteso) was made of Palo Rosa (a lighter type of Brazilian rosewood used for strictly non-classical work) and Ramon played effectively and lightly, well versed in his job of accompanying - in this instance a guajira followed by a high speed rhumba flamenco which allowed the lead guitar a free rein to extemporise on the chords. Pyrotechnics without limit. After one of his phenomenal extra long single note passages, some of the audience spontaneously rose to their feet galvanised into action, and by this time the atmosphere had built up to great excitement.
The two guitars were brilliant in the Bulerias, the first encore, and although Paco had suffered some nail injuries during the evening's playing, he ended with another encore, a Verdiales, which interpolated Lecuona's Andalusia and Malaguena with the regular cadenzas. Although one can say that Paco de Lucia's tone production is at one level, and there is little finesse of emotional depth, he must be recognised as one who plays guitar with freedom from inhibition and with a complete mastery of technique. One of the 'Greats'.
For those who wish to know more about him, he was born Sanchez Francisco Gomez in Algeciras, the port town next to Gibraltar and opposite Tangiers in North Africa. The date was 2 December 1947 and he, his father and brothers all either play or sing flamenco.
Paco de Lucia seems to have made a relentless bee-line for solo performance rather than playing in groups for singers and dancers. I wonder if Sabicas's statement holds good when he says 'One should play with singers and dancers for 25 years before embarking on a solo career'.
Excerpt: My Fifty Fretting Years by Ivor Mairants
Published: 1980
Publisher: Ashley Mark Publishing
Country: UK
