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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 13 2006 2:29:05

Miguel de Maria

Posts: 3532
Joined: Oct. 20 2003
From: Phoenix, AZ

RE: Paco Pena (in reply to Guest)

I think that PP _did_ stay at the forefront. His albums assuredly outsell Canizares and Nino Josele put together. He is playing the music he likes, and he's doing it his way, and he gets to hang out with rich and famous people, and world-class musicians of all genres. Sounds like he's doing what he wants, and I bet there's more than one flamenco that would trade places with him.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 13 2006 3:42:46

ivan

Posts: 73
Joined: Oct. 6 2005

RE: Paco Pena (in reply to Guest)

Niño Josele and Cañizares play what they want also..they are just better and stronger players than PP. PP may also sell more albums because he has been around for ages and he also sells more to foreigners (a good thing). Don't get me wrong, PP is a great guitarist especially for those being introduced to flamenco and he is an old timer. Josele is new generation and Cañizares is much younger as well. In Festivals where you see the best of the best, most people are there to see the Cañizares of flamenco.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 13 2006 14:09:45

Ricardo

Posts: 14852
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC

RE: Paco Pena (in reply to tk)

Paco Pena is a solid player. I often wondered why he was not a "figura" when I first got into flamenco. But as I collected recordings an knowleadge, I started to understand. To be a "figura" it seems you have to both compose your own falsetas with your own sound, and work with a renowned singer or dancer, exstensively. PP played a lot of sabicas montoya ricardo, etc, and contributed almost nothing new to the genre of solo guitar. You can get the same stuff by going to the source rather than getting his interpretation. But he could still be regarded as significant by aficionados in spain, if he chose to record with very well known singers. For example, Juan Habichuela is more of an important figure of flamenco guitar, even though he only made one solo guitar recording, that had tons of cante on there anyway. Paco Cepero is another example.

Also PP hangs with the classical guitarists a lot, namely bream and williams in london, so he is like the token "authentic" spanish flamenco guitarist. Just watch his interview in the La GUITARRA movie with bream. "Your quality of sound suffers because of your nails, but then again you have dancers...". That kind of crap does not go over well I think with die hard aficionados in spain.

But the truth is he is a very solid player, excellent techniques and feeling, interesting projects like misa flamenca, keeps it traditional which is good, does cool fusions like inti illimani, and most important IMO, established the Cordoba guitar festival. Vicente Amigo admitted to attending PP's guitar course as a youngster and certainly thinks very highly of him. I also consider him and his school in Rotterdam responsible for all the darn Dutch guys that play so freakin good. He certainly has made his mark on the flamenco world, even if he is not a historical "figura" and innovator.

Ricardo
PS, that sound clip I have the CD of that but it is called "FLAMENCO" only, and he is pictured wearing an orange sweater. Have not found the exact same disc on the internet, but I am sure there maybe copies still around out there. Check ebay.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 13 2006 17:41:17

chinito

Posts: 104
Joined: Jun. 14 2004

RE: Paco Pena (in reply to Guest)

Hi everyone,

I agree with everything in this thread so far. I've seen PP and company in concert twice here in Victoria, B.C. and got to meet him briefly afterwards. The shows were a mixed bag. The first was top notch and the second really lackluster. There was definitely a "classic" flavour to everything and he really let the other guitarists shoulder much of the more modern sections. Anything without baile was straight out of the "Arte y Passion" album. Not bad but not groundbreaking either.

I think one thing Pena has going for him is that he selects solid artists to have around him when he does his group shows. He's come to Victoria with Angel Munoz, David Palomar, Rosario Toledo and Paco Arriaga. Arriaga especially is worthy of attention. He's been accompanist for Maria Pages and played with Canizares a few months back.

In the past PP has worked with Dieguito and Guadiana. I think he also had Miguel Ortega who's won some of the more important cante contests. That said, one of the singers in his last show was a gitano guy in love with his own hair who kept joking and horsing around on stage throughout the performance. Really distracting and unprofessional.

On the subject of personality, I would have to say Pena has become very "English". He was very polite and businesslike, but as stated above very humble and pleasant at the same time. Nice guy who knows what he's good at and sticks with it.

-Jake.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 13 2006 20:27:12

Miguel de Maria

Posts: 3532
Joined: Oct. 20 2003
From: Phoenix, AZ

RE: Paco Pena (in reply to Guest)

Jake,
are you a gigging musician? My wife and I are planning to spend the summer up in Victoria next summer to check out the scene and perhaps escape the US! What's going on up there?

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 13 2006 21:34:20

chinito

Posts: 104
Joined: Jun. 14 2004

RE: Paco Pena (in reply to Guest)

Hola Miguel!

I play around town a bit. There's definitely flamenco in Victoria, but it can be sporadic. The company I play for has performed at Butchart Gardens (a local tourist attraction) for two summers running and will likely be back next summer as well.

The local scene is divided between two dance schools, one an offshoot of the other. Lots of new interest but slow going finding venues. Every summer these schools put on workshops which are regularly taught by people like Oscar Nieto, Maria Bermudez and Felicia German. I usually end up playing for some of these classes.

Not to dissuade you from visiting my fair city, but Vancouver is the place to go for regular flamenco in B.C. There's places like the Kino Cafe which have flamenco tablaos every week. The flamenco community there is getting to a pretty high level. There are several schools and numerous private teachers as well. Every spring there is also a small flamenco festival which has brought artists such as Concha Vargas and Paco Fernandez. Only a couple of hours from Victoria by a gorgeous ferry ride.

Best wishes,
-Jake.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 14 2006 18:46:47

Exitao

Posts: 907
Joined: Mar. 13 2006
From: Vancouver, Canada

RE: Paco Pena (in reply to Guest)

As el chinito says Vancouver is where it's at in BC. I do like Victoria because its architecture resembles that of the rest of Canada, and in other ways is more 'Canadian' then Vancouver, but Van is much larger. You can see most of Victoria in a weekend, but Vancouver takes at least a week.

For more about the Vancouver flamenco scene check out www.flamenco.ca

Back to Paco Pena:

Because of this thread I was listening to PP and some Sabicas for comparison. Does PP also use a lighter string tension?

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 15 2006 2:39:16

Miguel de Maria

Posts: 3532
Joined: Oct. 20 2003
From: Phoenix, AZ

RE: Paco Pena (in reply to Guest)

I am interested in Vancouver too. We were more interested in Victoria because of the nature element, and also because I play at weddings and was hoping to get employment there. "Newly wed and newly dead," right? We visited Vancouver for a week in April and loved it, but the highlight was our trip to Victoria. Certainly the Butchart Gardens are lovely. We're basically an old married couple, really...

As far as Paco Pena, I understand that string tensions in general are higher now then they were in the past.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 15 2006 4:13:12

Exitao

Posts: 907
Joined: Mar. 13 2006
From: Vancouver, Canada

RE: Paco Pena (in reply to Guest)

I did say Victoria is nice. Very good customer service too, unlike Van. It's just smaller.

I'm in Vancouver as are a couple other people from either here or F-T

It had been mentioned that strings have more tension now than earlier. I really wonder how much.. and if my ears are correct.

The rageo sounds less sharp/bright. I'm not meaning in a bad way, I think I like it better sometimes I find the newer stuff harsh sometimes.
The bass sounds different too.

But the picado seems less bright too which makes me sad.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 15 2006 4:42:17

Paul Magnussen

Posts: 1805
Joined: Nov. 8 2010
From: London (living in the Bay Area)

RE: Paco Pena (in reply to Ron.M)

quote:

John Williams and Paco have been very good friends for a very long time now.
They even stay in the same street and often drop in on each other!

Paco and John don't live on the same street, although they are within walking distance of each other.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 23 2010 18:51:08

Ruphus

Posts: 3782
Joined: Nov. 18 2010

RE: Paco Pena (in reply to Guest)

He seems also capable of performing magic.
PP was gigging in a schools atrium of Hannover ( Germany ) in the early eighties ( disappointing to me to see merely a ~ 200 heads in there ), and completely elated me entered the stage right after him having vanished behind a door after the concert.
Naively yours thought of friendly asking him on whereabouts and `how to learn´ flamenco.
Behind the door there was a long corridor with lots of other doors, of which one was just closing. He had bridged the distance in a blink. I tried following him through corridors vainly and ended up in the atrium again, where he was standing in a crowd now, not out of breath at all and giving autographs.

His down to earth, sympathetic attitude still like inviting, yet the situation much too busy for me to start a conversation.
So, alike fellow enthusiasts, me just grabbed his album and let it be autographed.

Ruphus

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 18 2011 11:23:16

BarkellWH

Posts: 3460
Joined: Jul. 12 2009
From: Washington, DC

RE: Paco Pena (in reply to Ruphus)

Interesting that this dormant thread on Paco Pena came alive again. Paco Pena and his group are performing at George Washington University's Lisner Auditorium in Washington, DC on 13 March 2011. This year will be the first year in the last ten that Lisner will not be having a "flamenco festival," which always occurred in February. They are bringing Paco Pena, though, as part of their regular programming. I definitely will be in the audience.

Cheers,

Bill

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And the epitaph drear, "A fool lies here,
Who tried to hustle the East."

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 18 2011 11:45:13