Paco Pena video

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Paco Pena video

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Jim Opfer

Posts: 1876
Joined: Jul. 19 2003
From: Glasgow, Scotland.

Paco Pena video

I came across this on Youtube. Very interesting commentary from Paco who always has a expressive way with words.

Enjoy.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 17 2009 8:59:51

Ron.M

Posts: 7051
Joined: Jul. 7 2003
From: Scotland

RE: Paco Pena video (in reply to Jim Opfer)

Great video Jim!

One thing I can say is that seeing and talking with Paco Peña over a few of his early years, he has ALWAYS been an ambassador for Flamenco even from the earliest days.

I've seen him perform (in the early days) in Concerts, University Unions and very small audience (50 or so) in small school halls in the country (Art's Council subsidised gigs) and still took the time in every case to explain the music and the history of his culture in the most careful and sincere terms.

I remember seeing him at one of those small venues.
It was a Primary School hall about 5 miles outside of Falkirk (which itself is just a small town)
The hilarious thing was that the only chairs they had were the half size ones for infants....so we all had to sit on those.
The audience was mainly older village folk and their kids, since there was no other entertainment there apart from the Pub.
Paco had managed to grab a full size chair from the teacher's Staff Room!

He played a totally great solo set and it came to the Interval, so I thought I'd go round and see him.
He was in the Staff Room drinking a cup of cofee.
He was practising "Zapateado en Re" which he often used to use as an encore number and he waved me away saying "no, no, not now please...I have to practise...I'll speak to you later."

I really respect the man for this.

From the Royal Albert Hall to the tiniest country venue, he was always the same in trying to get across what Flamenco was about, always putting the Art of Flamenco very much above himself, always trying to play his very best regardless of the size or knowledge of the audience.

The man IMO deserves every success he has achieved in his life.

cheers,

Ron

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 17 2009 11:51:28

Ailsa

Posts: 2277
Joined: Apr. 17 2007
From: South East England

RE: Paco Pena video (in reply to Jim Opfer)

Great find Jim. Paco Pena always seems like such a gentle soul. I envy you having met him Ron.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 17 2009 13:00:03

Jim Opfer

Posts: 1876
Joined: Jul. 19 2003
From: Glasgow, Scotland.

RE: Paco Pena video (in reply to Ailsa)

Ailsa,

Check this out if you haven't see it before.
http://www.foroflamenco.com/tm.asp?m=72679&appid=&p=&mpage=1&key=paco%2Cpena%2Cconcert&tmode=&smode=&s=#72679

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 18 2009 13:12:24

minordjango

Posts: 918
Joined: Feb. 26 2005

RE: Paco Pena video (in reply to Jim Opfer)

im also in envy, ron you da man !!! .

i remeber the first time i receieved his toque flamencos, i was a rock player, then i heard the audio tape , my gosh!!!! that was the first day of many , paco seems so so gentle and amzing,

i had meet with a few folk they said ah no his not a real player ??? just sells him self m that is just a waste in my mind of his recordings always inspire his early 70s renditions of alegrais, solea, bulerias, are simply amazing , his playing on you tube(when i could see it) are out of this world, so earthy, and raw.

man id love to meet him for lessons, lucky ron

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 18 2009 20:49:44

Ron.M

Posts: 7051
Joined: Jul. 7 2003
From: Scotland

RE: Paco Pena video (in reply to minordjango)

quote:

im also in envy, ron you da man !!!

Jim O here has attended Paco's private school in Cordoba back in the '90s.

When I knew him he was just starting out as a solo player and doing lots of small gigs in Scotland so it was very easy to chat to him as only a few folk (mainly autograph hunters and well-wishers) were there. Nobody was actually interested in the technique or anything.
As I said, he was a very sincere person and very keen to dispel the tourist/picture postcard image of Flamenco which was prevalent at the time.

cheers,

Ron

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 19 2009 1:04:40