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Thread about our own individual memories of PdL
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Piwin
Posts: 3559
Joined: Feb. 9 2016
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 RE: Thread about our own individual ... (in reply to Ruphus)
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It was one of those last-minute gifts where you run through the store, fully aware that you have to walk out with something, even if you know it's not really what the recipient
would have wanted. You just have to get something because his birthday is tomorrow and all the stores are closing soon. The next morning, on my 14th birthday, I was rather
quizical when I unwrapped the gift my father had bought for me: a CD entitled Luzia from some artist I'd never heard of. Nor had he for that matter. He said: "I didn't know what
to get you. But I know you wanted to learn the guitar and this was in the guitar section". Fair enough. At the time I would have rather gotten the latest Dream Theater CD, but
whatever, I thought. I listened to it, and it went completely over my head. At the time, I had that approach to music where you only enjoy what sounds difficult, technical, and in
my case, what was rythmically difficult. This sounded too smooth to my ears, I didn't catch the complexity. It was years later that I discovered how difficult his compositions really
were, and a few more years after that I realized that it didn't even matter how difficult it was, what mattered was how he somehow managed to tell a story, to speak directly to a person's
heart through his music. The mark of a true artist.
Years later I got to see him play in Salamanca, where I'd gone to study the basics of the Spanish language, setting foot in Spain for the first time. The following night I went to see
Paco Ibáñez, a very close second in the list of artists who have managed to create in me such a strong emotional response. I was all Paco'd out. And I knew I'd be back in this country
for more. And so it went.
Two years ago, I was in Granada Capital when the Maestro passed. I had a guitar class that afternoon. We kept it short, no one really had it in them to play. I learned two of
Paco's falsetas. They weren't particularly sad, but till this day, I can't play them without feeling a tinge of sorrow. That evening, I had to accompany a friend to Manuel Díaz's workshop.
A few days earlier he had decided that he wanted to pursue flamenco further, and for him that meant purchasing a proper flamenco guitar. He had got the money from the bank
and we we're going back to get his new guitar. Manuel arrived, slowly traipsing up the Cuesta Gomérez. "La vida sigue" he said. And so it does. There was something in that new guitar,
some quality that only the circumstances could bestow on it, a naïve sense of life being a circle of endings and beginnings. Naïve, yes, but the sense of it was truly present. And so it goes.
A few years earlier, another artist had left us, Lhasa de Sela. I mourned her loss, as I later had to mourn the loss of Paco de Lucia. With her gone, I simply didn't know who would
ever be able to express those ineffable feelings that are so hard for most of us to point out. She had put in to words things that would slip away from my grasp as soon as I got close,
like a glimpse of something in the corner of your eye, that dissapears as soon as you try to focus your gaze on it. Paco did the same, not through words but through music.
Two years later, I'm still a bit dazed but grateful that I got to experience at least a small part of his music while he was amongst the living, grateful that, through technology, I can still listen
to the masterful tales he carved out of mere nylon and nail. Two years later, the Maestro is still very much here through his music. But there's this lingering feeling of doubt. Who's to lead the way now?
Are we really on our own?
_____________________________
"Anything you do can be fixed. What you cannot fix is the perfection of a blank page. What you cannot fix is that pristine, unsullied whiteness of a screen or a page with nothing on it—because there’s nothing there to fix."
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Date Feb. 10 2016 11:42:39
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Ricardo
Posts: 14797
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC
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RE: Thread about our own individual ... (in reply to Ruphus)
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Wow, this will probably be some essay.
I first heard Paco with trio in high school, about 15 years old. Aspan. I grew up listening to classical guitar, my father was Segovia student and professional teacher and performer. The sound of the trio really grabbed me, though I was only into rock guitar at the time. I asked my dad about it and he showed me Sabicas. Later he bought me the Trio disc (Passion grace and fire). As a fan of the three players I slowly built a collection, only finding McLaughlin and Dimeola stuff. When I got to Elegant Gypsy, and heard the duet with Dimeola, same one that impressed both McLaughlin and Santana, I literally fell on my knees with repeat over and over...Paco was by far the best guitarist I had ever heard. It was just a fast scale run but each note came at me like a Tyson knock out hit to the chest. I distinctly recall thinking, "what a shame Paco doesn't play the more classical style and just does these fast fusion runs, because he would probably be the best". Little did I know....
My father passed away when I was 17. Sudden Heart attack, smoking etc, same old story. To fill that space in my heart, I went nuts collecting recordings. All kinds of music. Revisiting the trio I picked up sanfrancisco and then really fell in love with Paco over the others. I found only one Paco solo album, Castro Marin with McLaughlin on one tune. The descriptions of the song forms Paco gave were really interesting. I had no idea flamenco was so deep and complex. With that description I went looking for more... I found an article in an old magazine in my dad's library that had a PDL discography, part I of III only...up to Duende Album. I was determined to collect every one on the list, and again the descriptions of the song forms in the article turned me into an instant aficionado. Tower records was my first source. Also found this cool pic (attached) of PDL sitting outside with his Ramirez guitar (like one I had at the time) bare foot, he just seemed like the coolest dude ever.
In college I stuck with pick style rock, jazz, and had to grow nails for classical guitar. A little resentful I didn't take more from my father while he was alive, I sort of rebelled against my classical guitar teachings. Plus I had become this flamenco aficionado though I didn't even try to play any other than with a pick getting some of PDL's runs. I had learned finally how to pronounce PDL 's name thanks to the Dimeola instructional vid, and was still serious into jazz improvisation. Luck came up for me in 1995 and I secured a front row seat to PDL concert in DC. I was so familiar with the music but had never seen it played. Every note was just amazing ...especially La Barrosa. I got to shake his hand after back stage and get an autograph. After that I started over with my playing with the right hand. I had no choice really. I started finding flamenco other than Paco, and discovered the Flamenco Connection and with any money I could save up buying videos and music scores, CDS, whatever I could. Saura movies over and over till my roommates were sick.  . In the middle of transcribing trio material I was I shock when I discovered the new trio disc (1996) in the record store without hearing about it first. I just burried myself into that world for a while.
PDL and his flamenco world certainly took the place of what my father had been to me. A living inspiration. After graduation I went for the dance school thing. Never looked back. The next time PDL came around I took my hot girlfriend, she lured the band to go out with us. Not Paco, but we got to party with Duquende, grilo, J. Maria Banderas, Pardo, etc . Twice...and great Juergas, and amazing feeling. Every time PDL came it was a major event for me and my new flamenco family. I think his best concert was 2004 with Tana and new group. Couldn't party with the old guys, but Paco played so good. He slowed down after that. 2007 he came and was not at his best. I liked chonchi though. Finally 2012 was his last time here and it was really great. For me. First of all, he at some point decided (2010 or so) to work up his old falsetas from Zyrab in C# buleria that I thought were long gone. Almost like he read my mind about what I needed to see him play. Very personal for me. And second, my friend Paco de Malaga was a great friend of PDL's brother Ramon, and composed a piece for him (Ramon died in 2009) and asked me to learn and record it (his hands were in bad shape) so he could present it as a gift to Paco at that concert. It was not easy but I got it together just in time. P. Malaga gave it to him and PDL promised to listen to it. I don't really know if he ever did as we didn't get feedback, but I would like to think he did and enjoyed the memory of it (some old falsetas Ramon used to teach were included).
PDL died right after a great friend's birthday in February, the proximity of the date will forever remind me of the loss. He went just like my father did pretty much, it has all been like a Deja vu for me. Haven't really been able to replace that loss of inspiration yet, it sucks.
Ricardo
 Attachment (1)
_____________________________
CD's and transcriptions available here:
www.ricardomarlow.com
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Date Feb. 10 2016 13:57:42
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Mark2
Posts: 1868
Joined: Jul. 12 2004
From: San Francisco
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RE: Thread about our own individual ... (in reply to Ruphus)
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I was studying with Mariano Cordoba in 1985. I'd drive to Sunnyvale once every two weeks for a two hour lesson. I'd already been playing guitar for a decade and had done a few tours playing electric guitar. But, I had been bitten by the bug and hence was trying to figure out flamenco. I already knew about Paco, and on my first date with my soon to be wife, we went to tower records and ended up both buying Paco albums.
I bought a new car-a 1985 firebird, and blasted the Fuente cassette constantly. My favorites were the tango, the tarrantas, and cepa. Mariano comes out to see my car and I turn up the stereo while the tango is playing. He smiles hearing the monster alzapua and asks "Who?" I say one word, the only word you need to identify the master: PACO!
I still hear the jaleos on that record in my mind, and the moments that inspired them. I saw Paco play twice, the first time I was completely blown away. Second time was later in his career , and I remember seeing Jason during the intermission. He asked what I thought, and I kinda waffled a bit. He looked at me like "What the F is wrong with you, it's PACO" I realized the significance of that statement and went in to see the second half of the show with a new attitude. A spotlight was on him, and it illuminated his prominent forehead. The lights created an effect of multi colored beams of light directly exiting his head and shooting into the sky. It was if these magnificent falsetas were being created in his brain and flying directly out of his head into the sky. And that is exactly what was happening.
I've never been able to play one of his compositions all the way through-just didn't have the chops. Recently, however, I decided to work on my technique, and what better way than early Paco. Recently I've managed to memorize and play, at pretty slow speed , his early fandango. Maybe one day I'll be able to pull it off at 80% or 90% of his tempo. Maybe not, but it sure has been a satisfying journey walking in the footprints of the greatest guitarist the world has known.
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Date Feb. 10 2016 16:53:35
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kitarist
Posts: 1715
Joined: Dec. 4 2012
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RE: Thread about our own individual ... (in reply to Ruphus)
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I was 16 or so, a year after starting with classical guitar, when someone let me listen to the "Friday Night in San Francisco" album and pointed out that one of the three guys "Paco de Lucia - plays without a pick, like a classical guitar player".
So my introduction to him was also through the trio work. In particular, the beginning of Mediterranean Sundance was the first thing I wanted to try and learn and just marveled how it is possible to do the pyramid 5-note scale runs with such speed. A couple of years after that I took a decades-long break from the [classical] guitar for various reasons (though I picked it up again for a bit around 2007).
Many years later, I got to see Paco live, for the first and last time, on Jul 2, 2011 when he came to Victoria, BC (Canada) for a concert. Fourth or fifth row, centre; it was incredible. Now that I connect the dots, it seems that this event re-inspired me to think about flamenco again and the following year I signed up for flamenco dancing; in 2013 I switched to exploring flamenco guitar, finally having time to practice it more seriously in the last 3 years.
_____________________________
Konstantin
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Date Aug. 7 2019 21:34:43
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jalalkun
Posts: 276
Joined: May 3 2017
From: Iraq, living in Cologne, Germany
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RE: Thread about our own individual ... (in reply to Ruphus)
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my story might be the most unspectacular of all
I was browsing through Youtube, looking for nice classical pieces to listen to. the only flamenco artist I was listening to back then was Sabicas, because I was learning the Malaguena de Lecuona and Sabicas' virtuosity was too much to handle for 18 year old me. There was always that video with a washed out picture of an older guy in a white shirt, holding a guitar on his lap in the thumbnail. I never clicked on it because I didn't know if I would waste my time on these 8 minutes or not. as soon as I clicked on it, I was blown away. It was the adagio of Concierto de Aranjuez by Paco de Lucia. never had I heard anything of this beauty and emotion. I couldn't stop listening to it.
then, a couple months later, a friend sent me an MP3 of Mediterranian Sundance from the San Francisco album. as I was listening, one of the guitarists sounded too familiar to my ear, I thought I was crazy thinking this was PdL. and to my surprise it really was.
there has not been even one guitar player that baffeled me as much as Paco did. He has been my idol ever since, and because of him I started learning to play flamenco. RIP Tio Paco.
_____________________________
My name is Jalal.
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Date Aug. 8 2019 11:36:09
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mark indigo
Posts: 3625
Joined: Dec. 5 2007
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RE: Thread about our own individual ... (in reply to Ruphus)
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I first heard flamenco in about 1991 or 1992 after taking a record out of the library "by accident" (ie. I had no idea what it was). It wasn't actually Paco, but it was flamenco guitar and a life changing event. I went back to the library to look for more of this "flamenco" music I hadn't heard of before, and scoured record/CD shops. A friend on my street was a Mclaughlin fan and had "El Duende Flamenco de Paco de Lucia", Siroco, and one of the guitar trio albums. Siroco went over my head at the time, and I didn't get the guitar trio. I didn't like the orchestra tracks on Duende Flamenco but loved the just guitar tracks. Still do.
Listening to Paco on record led me to listen first to Camarón and then cante in general. I found a flamenco guitar teacher locally and from there started playing at dance classes. I've pretty much oriented my life around music since I was a teen, and since my early twenties the music has been flamenco.
I only saw Paco live a couple of times, late 90's, maybe on time was early 2000's, and kicked myself I missed the last time he played in London.... Both times the highlight for me was the first three numbers. First Rondeña solo, then Alegrías with palmas, then Bulerías with cajón as well. I wasn't bothered much about the group, I just wanted to hear Paco!
What can I say? I'm still gutted he's gone....
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Date Aug. 9 2019 14:24:56
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