Paco Pena at Crear

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Paco Pena at Crear

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Jim Opfer

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

Paco Pena at Crear

It was just a great day. Trip up the West Coast of Scotland to a remote venue to see Paco Pena. The strangest experience, quite odd.
I've been a great fan and absolute admirer since I bought one of his first albums back in 69. I went to him in Cordoba in 1990 and had managed to get to see a few concerts dotted around since then, but here he was comming to this tiny wee remote hall for a solo guitar concert, weird!
I got there early, magnificent venue looking out over the sea towards the islands of Islay and Jura. Glimse through the window and there he was sitting in the hall (converted barn) just him with his guitar while we all stood outside waiting to get in. Summer day but still a chill blowing in from Canada.
Doors open and Jims straight in, front seat 3m away from the stool.
100 or so people in a semi-circle and I'm right at the front.
Paco came in to a great applause visibly nervous but so was I, I'd been putting myself in his shoes, remembering from my own experiences of gigs, how it must feel. I thought Jeez! if I had to come out here it would be terrifying. Something about the way the seats were arranged with the front row semi-circle so close and all around.
Anyway, he played Granaina, Alegrias and Solea before he paused to say a word. I guess by then he felt a bit more comfortable and able to begin to tell the audience all about flamenco and the role of the guitar. I've got to say he's great at that, he has a terrific way with words, very expressive and clear in meaning.
He then went on to play, Farruca, Molonga, some Lorca tunes, Tarranta etc and then back on for Fandangos (based on Azahara - Rio Mar).
Thing is he's lost a wee bit of that sharpness from his early days but there is no question that he is one of the most expressive Flamencos on the plannet. Everything played with great taste. Made me think about Nunez and those other guys. You know what came to me was this thought ... you don't have to read fast to read a poem ..... Think about that for a minute. It put a smile on my face like I had just received a pearl of wisdom.
I made a point to seek him out at the end. He said he remembered me from Cordoba but I think he was just being nice to me. I tried to engauge him in some conversation, I wanted to ask so many things about his playing, about his guitar - beaten up with all sorts of gadgets stuck on and with some strange details like 12 hole bridge and a blanked off nut slot that made me think the scale length had been shortened on some point. I wanted to make him understand how good I felt he was but after the photo, he just kind a slipped away into the crowd with his scarf loose over his sholders as if to say Jeez! this place is cold.
Sorry Stephen, but there was not chance for me to show him your guitar, he was snapped up by lots of strange Scottish folk wondering who had composed the pieces he played.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 29 2007 0:14:54

Georg

Posts: 405
Joined: Feb. 5 2006
From: Germany

RE: Paco Pena at Crear (in reply to Jim Opfer)

Thanks Jim for telling us.

It must have been great. Was he alone or did he have others with him?

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 29 2007 0:33:25

Francisco

Posts: 879
Joined: Jun. 13 2005
From: SW USA

RE: Paco Pena at Crear (in reply to Jim Opfer)

Sounds like you had a great time Jim. Not only your description of the concert, but the venue sounds absolutely fantastic. I'm truly envious of you - in a good way. Thanks for sharing!

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 29 2007 0:37:30

Ailsa

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

RE: Paco Pena at Crear (in reply to Jim Opfer)

Wonderful description of your evening Jim. I am so envious!

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 29 2007 8:31:11

Ron.M

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

RE: Paco Pena at Crear (in reply to Jim Opfer)

Sounds like it was a great experience Jim,
Pity Paco didn't hang around.
I thought he'd have been staying overnight there so you would have had plenty time.

"You don't have to read fast to read a poem"....I like that!

Bit sobering to see Paco looking so old now....
It doesn't seem that long ago since I first met this fresh faced 24 year old wee guy at Strathclyde Uni.

cheers,

Ron

_____________________________

A good guitar might be a good guitar
But it takes a woman to break your heart

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 29 2007 9:41:15

koella

Posts: 2194
Joined: Sep. 10 2005
From: holland

RE: Paco Pena at Crear (in reply to Jim Opfer)

Great Jim.

I can't wait to see any photo's from Florian, holding Juan Martin.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 29 2007 10:10:34

Ailsa

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

RE: Paco Pena at Crear (in reply to koella)

quote:

ORIGINAL: koella

Great Jim.
I can't wait to see any photo's from Florian, holding Juan Martin.

You're wicked! Thanks Koella, you just rescued my mood from a tedious report I'm writing at work this morning.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 29 2007 10:12:31

Tomás Jiménez

Posts: 235
Joined: Feb. 24 2006

[Deleted]

Post has been moved to the Recycle Bin at Mar. 13 2008 22:03:47

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 29 2007 12:42:04

Estevan

Posts: 1936
Joined: Dec. 20 2006
From: Torontolucía

RE: Paco Pena at Crear (in reply to Jim Opfer)

Jim,
Thanks for the detailed account of an unusual and enjoyable experience, you lucky ******!

quote:

You know what came to me was this thought ... you don't have to read fast to read a poem ..... It put a smile on my face like I had just received a pearl of wisdom.

Well I think you had! Thanks for the pearl - it's a good one. And thanks to PP for inspiring it.

cheers
Steve

P.S.

quote:

Summer day but still a chill blowing in from Canada.

'Scuse me? It's 34 degrees here today...

_____________________________

Me da igual. La música es música.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 29 2007 21:51:18

blanca

Posts: 58
Joined: Mar. 21 2007
From: The Netherlands

RE: Paco Pena at Crear (in reply to Jim Opfer)

What a beautiful experience and thank you for describing it the you did.
I totally agree with what you al said about the pearl. I think that is why so many people love Paco Penas music: the emotion and feeling in it.
And that is what flamenco - and music in general - is all about.
Technic is important, but just a means to the expression.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 30 2007 13:07:37

alexandropach

Posts: 20
Joined: Jan. 5 2007

RE: Paco Pena at Crear (in reply to blanca)

Great Story. thanks for sharing it.

I love his music and playing style.

Alexandro

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 30 2007 16:09:53

Ricardo

Posts: 14825
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC

RE: Paco Pena at Crear (in reply to Jim Opfer)

quote:

Made me think about Nunez and those other guys. You know what came to me was this thought ... you don't have to read fast to read a poem ..... Think about that for a minute.

Glad you had a great experience. Technique is a means to an end for sure, but just a moment I will be the odd guy again. To me Peña actually is very technical for the type of music he plays. I mean he is way cleaner and faster and more accurate than Nino Ricardo for example. But there are different ways to recieve a performance, and it is an individual thing. To me there can be bordem, the music goes over the head, or bordem from the fact you have heard it all before. Then something deeply touching and moving. And still for others an experience like being utterly DESTROYED and torn apart, brought to your knees shivering with terror by an artist's seeming inhuman abilities.

But it is all good. Thanks for the story!

Ricardo

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 30 2007 17:20:50

Ron.M

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

RE: Paco Pena at Crear (in reply to Ricardo)

quote:

To me Peña actually is very technical for the type of music he plays. I mean he is way cleaner and faster and more accurate than Nino Ricardo for example.

I'd agree Ricardo!
He is an extremely clean player...great rasgueados and with sometimes the odd flash of stuff that makes you sit up.
He played a "test piece" malagueñas all the way through for me in his hotel room, not at concert level, but just as in playing to someone.
The biggest thing that struck me was how he hit the notes...extremely accurately and cleanly and with a certain "spin" on certain notes as a Classical player would do, like he was listening to every single note.
His hand movements also seemed very controlled and elegant.
I think this is the thing behind Paco's sound.
Before he got famous, he shared an apartment in Paris with a Classical player and he said that it changed his whole approach to the guitar.
Tone production...economy of movement etc.
Especially the Left hand.
He said that he just used to "go for it" without thinking about string crossings etc
and in general played pretty scrappily.
But after that , he really started thinking about playing.

cheers,

Ron

_____________________________

A good guitar might be a good guitar
But it takes a woman to break your heart

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 30 2007 21:07:36

Jim Opfer

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

RE: Paco Pena at Crear (in reply to Ricardo)

quote:

To me Peña actually is very technical for the type of music he plays. I mean he is way cleaner and faster and more accurate than Nino Ricardo for example.

Hi Ricardo
You're correct to say this, Paco Pena's recordings have always been deceptive on first hearing but try playing along with him and you soon find out that something that sounded quite calm is actually going at 100 miles an hour.
What you say will probably be based on recordings you've heard or might be a concert from a few years ago and that's fine.
But in Crear it was sad to notice that the crispness has now gone, a few mistakes in there, some wrong chords etc.
I was making the point that regardless of this, his flamenconess is still there and his quality came through loud and clear. Reinforced the fact that perfect playing and speed are fine but not what it's all about.
I'm still a great fan and absolute admirer.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 30 2007 22:47:28