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Jim Opfer -> Paco Pena at Crear (Aug. 29 2007 0:14:54)
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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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