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Learning his music won't help you play Flamenco as it is played today.
Emphasis on TODAY. And the he qualifies today's compas as exact metronome timing.
For me, that sounds right. Personally, I do not prefer THAT modern approach to Flamenco. Same as Steve Vai. Great guitarist but cannot stand more than half of a song a year.
Anyway; In flamenco you have the term "Duende" for those rare extraordinary inspiring moments when the deepest emotions get transferred from the musician to the audience. I have that on a recording of Austerlitz from Segovia and on a recording from Sabicas where suddenly on a clear cold night, the sky brakes open and enormous swarm of falling starts decent to earth. I will look that up if I have time and see if I can share that.
I believe you should listen to Manitas de Plata if you want to complain about compass.
The older I get the more I realize just how high was the level of maestros like Sabicas and Paco. I don't believe for one second that Sabicas couldn't do something on the guitar or as musician. I am sure, if it was called for, he would play in strict compas with great metronomical precision keeping the time steady as a rock. He just didn't give as much importance to it as today's players do. There was a different mentality back in the day.
I view a piece of music as a living creature that breathes. Sometimes, when emotions get the better of us, we tend to breathe harder and faster, or may get short of breath. Why can't a piece of music?
The older I get the more I realize just how high was the level of maestros like Sabicas and Paco. I don't believe for one second that Sabicas couldn't do something on the guitar or as musician. I am sure, if it was called for, he would play in strict compas with great metronomical precision keeping the time steady as a rock. He just didn't give as much importance to it as today's players do. There was a different mentality back in the day.
I view a piece of music as a living creature that breathes. Sometimes, when emotions get the better of us, we tend to breathe harder and faster, or may get short of breath. Why can't a piece of music?
I only saw Carmen Amaya once in person, but several times on film. An exciting feature of her dance performance was the elasticity of its rhythm. She accelerated and decelerated with great emotional effect.
As is well known, not only was Sabicas Carmen Amaya's lead accompanist during the peak of her career, they were also lovers as well. To me Sabicas' accelerandos and decelerandos were always danceable, and they reminded me of Carmen's rhythmic flexibility.
The photo is obviously an early beer delivery system for guitarsts that allow them to drink without having to stop playing. Im sure it helps with Compas issues too.
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