Paco Pena in Toronto

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Paco Pena in Toronto - tonight!

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britguy

Posts: 712
Joined: Dec. 26 2010
From: Ontario, Canada

Paco Pena in Toronto - tonight!

Paco Pena and his troupe are playing at Roy Thompson Hall in Toronto tonight (Friday 18th).

Any of you Torontotonians going?

He's also being interviewed on the CBC Radio. Should be available on their website.

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Fruit farmer, Ontario, Canada

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 18 2013 13:23:38

Yojimbo

Posts: 176
Joined: Feb. 7 2011
From: Toronto, Canada

RE: Paco Pena in Toronto - tonight! (in reply to britguy)

I was there.

The show was 2 hours, plus intermission plus a little extra at the end.

Three guitarists, 2 singers, 1 cajon player and 3 dancers (1 male). Paco did one solo while everything else was with the group. The male dancer seemed very good to me and he was front and center for much of the program.

I really enjoyed it and I thought it was a great show.

And.......no flutes. Thankfully.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 19 2013 4:47:58

britguy

Posts: 712
Joined: Dec. 26 2010
From: Ontario, Canada

RE: Paco Pena in Toronto - tonight! (in reply to Yojimbo)

quote:

I was there.

Me too!

I thought Paco's playing was wonderfull to hear. Beautifull tone, and what smooth, lyrical tremolos. Very traditional falsetas, and with few of the overlying technicalities present in 'modern' flamenco guitar playing.

I thought both singers were excellent, especially the girl, who was exceptional. Too bad the dancers got all the applause. Especially the male dancer who sort of dominated the whole programme with his energetic zapateado and acrobatics - very reminiscent of Jose Greco, I thought. But there's no doubt the audience loved every minute of it.

Interesting to note that Paco and the other older guitarist used the traditional hold, whereaes the younger guitarist just rested the guitar on his right thigh and crouched over it, blues-style. Also Paco frequently raised the heel of his right foot to elevate the guitar a little. I find I tend to do that, also. . .

A great show. Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

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Fruit farmer, Ontario, Canada

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 19 2013 14:13:27

BarkellWH

Posts: 3459
Joined: Jul. 12 2009
From: Washington, DC

RE: Paco Pena in Toronto - tonight! (in reply to britguy)

quote:

I thought Paco's playing was wonderfull to hear. Beautifull tone, and what smooth, lyrical tremolos. Very traditional falsetas, and with few of the overlying technicalities present in 'modern' flamenco guitar playing.

Glad to hear that, Britguy. Of all the top tier players on the circuit, Paco de Lucia, Vicente Amigo, et al, Paco Pena remains my favorite. I just enjoy his more traditional style of playing. I'm going to see him on February 1, when he performs here in the Washington, DC area.

Cheers,

Bill

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And the end of the fight is a tombstone white,
With the name of the late deceased,
And the epitaph drear, "A fool lies here,
Who tried to hustle the East."

--Rudyard Kipling

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 19 2013 17:22:17

britguy

Posts: 712
Joined: Dec. 26 2010
From: Ontario, Canada

RE: Paco Pena in Toronto - tonight! (in reply to BarkellWH)

quote:

I'm going to see him on February 1, when he performs here in the Washington, DC area.

Well Bill; you can look forward to a great show of traditional flamenco. Be aware of the female singer. She really has a fantastic flamenco voice and delivery. Gave me goose bumps. . . The male singer is great, also. Sounded a bit like Raphael Romero at times.

Too bad Washington is so far; I'd be tempted to see it again.

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Fruit farmer, Ontario, Canada

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 19 2013 17:41:44

rombsix

Posts: 7815
Joined: Jan. 11 2006
From: Beirut, Lebanon

RE: Paco Pena in Toronto - tonight! (in reply to britguy)

Paco Pena is freakin' amazing.

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Ramzi

http://www.youtube.com/rombsix

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 19 2013 19:50:33

Doitsujin

Posts: 5078
Joined: Apr. 10 2005

RE: Paco Pena in Toronto - tonight! (in reply to rombsix)

quote:

Paco Pena is freakin' amazing.

wow I really like Paco Pena in this little clip there. I especially love when he just banged a triplet rasguado and then saying to himself "that´s so sick" at 2:16.. haha ..AWESOME! :))

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 19 2013 21:53:37

Ricardo

Posts: 14825
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC

RE: Paco Pena in Toronto - tonight! (in reply to Doitsujin)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Doitsujin

quote:

Paco Pena is freakin' amazing.

wow I really like Paco Pena in this little clip there. I especially love when he just banged a triplet rasguado and then saying to himself "that´s so sick" at 2:16.. haha ..AWESOME! :))

"that sort of thing" he says.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 20 2013 9:35:35

Doitsujin

Posts: 5078
Joined: Apr. 10 2005

RE: Paco Pena in Toronto - tonight! (in reply to Ricardo)

quote:

"that sort of thing" he says.

no... he says "that´s so sick".....tststs Don´t tell you you thought I´m serious?

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 20 2013 10:25:47

Erik van Goch

Posts: 1787
Joined: Jul. 17 2012
From: Netherlands

RE: Paco Pena in Toronto - tonight! (in reply to Doitsujin)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Doitsujin

Don´t tell you thought I´m serious?

Does anyone ever do ? ;-)

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 20 2013 12:39:02

britguy

Posts: 712
Joined: Dec. 26 2010
From: Ontario, Canada

RE: Paco Pena in Toronto - tonight! (in reply to Doitsujin)

quote:

wow I really like Paco Pena in this little clip

Me too, Doit.

But was anyone curious about the two bits of tape stuck to the heel of his guitar?

And why they were there?

(I'm pretty sure I know the reason, but let's see who else can guess. . . )

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Fruit farmer, Ontario, Canada

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 20 2013 13:56:18

Yojimbo

Posts: 176
Joined: Feb. 7 2011
From: Toronto, Canada

RE: Paco Pena in Toronto - tonight! (in reply to britguy)

It was a great show and I highly recommend it if it comes to your town.

About the guitar holds, I noticed each guitarist had a different hold. PP had his guitar quite high up in the traditional method. Another guitarist, as noted earlier, had his guitar horizontal while the third one had his sort of in between. No-one had a footstool.

I especially liked the short bit at the end of the performance, when the female singer did a little dance, and one of the guitarists did a little singing.

About the video posted by rombsix - the host of that show was sitting across the aisle from me. Not a big deal, but something to note.

I wish my rasqueos were as good as PP's - he makes them look so easy. I had never heard of the triplet with the little finger before.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 20 2013 15:00:52

rombsix

Posts: 7815
Joined: Jan. 11 2006
From: Beirut, Lebanon

RE: Paco Pena in Toronto - tonight! (in reply to britguy)

quote:

But was anyone curious about the two bits of tape stuck to the heel of his guitar?

And why they were there?

(I'm pretty sure I know the reason, but let's see who else can guess. . . )

He actually has a Gitano guitar support stuck to the lower bout of his instrument.

About the pieces of tape (which I don't think he has here) - they are usually there to increase friction / grip between the guitar and Paco's pants so it doesn't slip. There is a piece of tape near the heel on the lower bout. Don't know why that is there. There is a tuner stuck to the guitar near the heel on the upper bout.

Cheers!

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Ramzi

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 20 2013 15:32:49

britguy

Posts: 712
Joined: Dec. 26 2010
From: Ontario, Canada

RE: Paco Pena in Toronto - tonight! (in reply to rombsix)

quote:

There is a piece of tape near the heel on the lower bout. Don't know why that is there.

Well; I have an Iranian friend who studied with Paco in Rotterdam, and he told me Paco always had a little patch of grease (of some kind) stuck to the heel of his guitar, and periodically lubricated his fingertips with it !

I think THAT is why the piece of tape is on the heel. To protect the guitar's finish from the grease.

(But I could be mistaken. Just an educated guess. . . )

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Fruit farmer, Ontario, Canada

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 20 2013 17:23:22

rombsix

Posts: 7815
Joined: Jan. 11 2006
From: Beirut, Lebanon

RE: Paco Pena in Toronto - tonight! (in reply to britguy)

Well, many players do that bit with the grease. They just put it on the actual finish of the guitar though, without using any tape. The grease on the tape would maybe not work well, but I'm not sure. Maybe Paco Pena does things differently. The grease is usually placed on the upper bout near the heel though, where Paco Pena has the tuner in the above video. Maybe Paco Pena likes putting the grease on the lower bout near the heel instead. Who knows.