Welcome to one of the most active flamenco sites on the Internet. Guests can read most posts but if you want to participate click here to register.
This site is dedicated to the memory of Paco de Lucía, Ron Mitchell, Guy Williams, Linda Elvira, Philip John Lee, Craig Eros, Ben Woods, David Serva and Tom Blackshear who went ahead of us.
We receive 12,200 visitors a month from 200 countries and 1.7 million page impressions a year. To advertise on this site please contact us.
In Light and Shade, Paco talks about how he wanted to be a singer, but felt like he was too fat and thought he'd better hide behind the guitar instead.
I thought that was very interesting. Paco is, in my opinion, very cerebral in his composition, and often doesnt so much dig into fretboard shapes, and much as just pulling things from his imagination, much like a singer, whom doesnt fall back on shapes or formulas as much as guitarists tend to.
But my favorite part is when Paco talks about how Camaron would often pick up the guitar, and attempt to play little things here and there, and he would say to Paco "hey, this is cool right?" and Paco says, " No way man, that sucks" Then Paco says he's only kidding of course. I laugh out loud everytime i watch.
i only heard paco singing once, it was on the documentary DVD , the Camaron part, and his voice sucks! When i remember correctly, he said that he would have give everything if he could have a good voice.
I've got an hour-long tape a friend of mine made from a Georgia Public Radio program called "World Tour" that featured PDL. It probably played on lots of public radio programs. Started with his youth, told his whole story from his earliest years in Algeciras, explored his years with Camaron, his meeting with Sabicas, and analyzed his exploration of (and fusion with) jazz, all the while playing cuts in chronological order to illustrate the points made. They spent some time discussing his father's strong influence on his development. I think it was a celebration of his 59th birthday, but the moderator/analyst was interesting and did mention that PDL wanted to be a singer, but didn't feel he was good enough, and so hid behind the guitar. No mention of him being too fat. In fact, in his youth he was quite thin, judging from the cover art of the (ancient) 45 rpm records I bought of him while in Spain in the 70's. There was a cut of him singing on the radio program. He wasn't Camaron, but he wasn't exactly terrible, either.
Did anybody else hear it? It must have been played on NPR everywhere . . . Tony Arnold
In the two commercial DVDs about Paco, Light and Shade and Francisco Sanchez, he admits he considered himself to be a "shy, introverted, fat child" that hid behind his guitar instead of singing.
Light and Shade and Francisco Sanchez, he admits he considered himself to be a "shy, introverted, fat child" that hid behind his guitar instead of singing.
Gee whiz guys, dont totally ignore my post or anything, sheesh.
Gee whiz guys, dont totally ignore my post or anything, sheesh.
Sorry man, the guy was contradicting what you wrote based on the radio program and his own idea. Just thought I would point out the source of your accurate info, one more time.
Ricardo misunderstood what I said. I just thought you might be interested in what was said on the NPR program. I found it fascinating because my exposure to PDL has been entirely through his music, not through any biographical accounts -- until I heard this NPR program.
Neither I nor the program contradicted you, Todd. I just said the program didn't mention anything about PDL saying he was fat. It didn't.
And I didn't mean for you to feel like I was ignoring what you said. I was just trying to add to it, and find out if anybody else had heard the program or had an opinion.
Umm, nope. I got it. Just trying to back up the fact based info Toddk had. Paco claims he was fat. If that is debateable, great. But Paco claims it, and whether or not he was a "fat"child seems to be the debate here. A radio station did not "mention" it. Sheeesh, great!!! Who cares really, Paco is NOT a singer, plain and simple.
Printable Version
and thought he'd better hide behind the guitar instead. 
Then Paco says he's only kidding of course. 
New Messages
No New Messages
Hot Topic w/ New Messages
Hot Topic w/o New Messages
Locked w/ New Messages
Locked w/o New Messages
Post New Thread