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I would say Antonio Prieto "El Curry". He isn't necessarily underrated, but he is not as famous as he should be. There was a video on youtube of him trying out my teacher's brand new guitar but I can't find it, I think it was deleted. It was a very cold December day and Curry grabbed the guitar without warming up and played the most hardcore stuff you can imagine for 4 hours in a row. Simply mind blowing, it was some of the most impressive playing I've ever seen.
Anyway, here's a recent video of him (very far from his best capabilities, by the way):
All are overrated. Guitarrists are 2 a penny. An underrated singer is José Mendez, an underrated dancer is Fuensanta La Moneta, one of the few who actually dances flamenco.
I saw Manuel Silveria accompany Luis de Cordoba in 1999 at the Gran Teatro in Cordoba. Both were fantastic. His accompaniment por Granaina was masterful.
Two players that I have studied with some are Eugenio Iglesias and Ramon Amador from Las Tres Mil Viviendas, Sevilla. Eugenio has played for Fuensanta La Moneta. He usually tours with Jairo Barrull.
This is Eugenio and Paco Iglesias:
Here's Ramon Amador accompanying Pastora Galvan:
This is Paco Iglesias, Ramon Amador, and Eugenio Iglesias:
Well, he wasn’t underrated in the ’50s: he and Juanito Serrano were the two young fenómenos.
Of course...but it's 2013 and it's always "Moraito..." as in his nephew...and as if his style is somehow antiquated or simplistic, rarely discussed in detail as other players.
Meh, It's never a question of who is underrated, it's a question of who was fortuante enough to get a career going.
And, hey my vote goes to Pedro Bacan also, who was as stated earlier and individual, a risk taker. There's also Carlos Heredia, there's also every great guitarists cousin who who you'll never hear of in the press.
Then there's underrated at what? At solo playing or playing for singers? And what is the difference between underrated and under appreciated?
Tell you what, I'll take one Juan Habichuela for every dozen Juan Seranwrap's or Sabicasasses you dig up.
If I had a Sabicas record in my hand right now, I would go upstairs open the sliding glass doors full wide and wing it discus style as far away from my person as possible. Then I would go listen to some slouch like Paco Aguilera play for Juan Talega.
Perhaps the title of this thread is a bit off-putting (not to me), but the responses have been interesting. I think it was intended to be: 'post or list some of your favorite guitarists who don't have the same recognition as a Sabicas, PdL, etc.'
I really enjoy Manuel Morao and his accompaniment of the cantaora Paquera de Jerez. I don't find his playing antiquated or simplistic. I hear his 'toque' in Moraito, Diego del Morao, Manuel Parrilla, among others.
If ever there was an area where "it is all a matter of taste", it would involve favorite guitarists. For instance, most everyone likes (or says they like) Manuel Morao as an accompanist, but, for me, there are just too many notes! I listen to Morao accompanying Aurelio de Cadiz on the Mairena anthology, when Aurelio's voice was perhaps at its peak of expressiveness, and the poor man is buried alive under Morao's torrent. I think: how great would it have been had Aurelio been supported by someone like Pedro Soler or Roman el Granaino? Donn Pohren made this same observation about Morao years ago; it's certainly not new with me, but the lesson is clear: give me guitarists like Perico el del Lunar, Paco Aguilera, Paco del Gastor, Antonio Arenas--the list is long-- who earned their daily crust by working closely with the cantaor(a) to most effectively draw out the essence of the cante. What else is flamenco guitar for?
My intention for this thread wasn't to define the word Underrated. It was to give people a chance to share a guitarist(s) who they thought was really good, but not really well-known or appreciated, which is all subjective of course.
My intention for this thread wasn't to define the word Underrated. It was to give people a chance to share a guitarist(s) who they thought was really good, but not really well-known or appreciated, which is all subjective of course.
Understood, but to say what of who is underrated in the context of flamenco guitarist calls up many factors, it's not a simple concept. It begs to be defined in order for ones choices to have meaning.
If ever there was an area where "it is all a matter of taste", it would involve favorite guitarists. For instance, most everyone likes (or says they like) Manuel Morao as an accompanist, but, for me, there are just too many notes! I listen to Morao accompanying Aurelio de Cadiz on the Mairena anthology, when Aurelio's voice was perhaps at its peak of expressiveness, and the poor man is buried alive under Morao's torrent. I think: how great would it have been had Aurelio been supported by someone like Pedro Soler or Roman el Granaino? Donn Pohren made this same observation about Morao years ago; it's certainly not new with me, but the lesson is clear: give me guitarists like Perico el del Lunar, Paco Aguilera, Paco del Gastor, Antonio Arenas--the list is long-- who earned their daily crust by working closely with the cantaor(a) to most effectively draw out the essence of the cante. What else is flamenco guitar for?
Morao is awesome, but I agree, I have to be in the right mood to listen to him.
Perico and Aguilera are guitarists that no one talks about these days, for obvious reasons. The trend is to embrace every thing post Paco de Lucia as a starting point so many real older styled poets like Perico don't get as much consideration as they should because modern toque is so whizz bang powerful. One of the problems being that Paco took off running with Sabicas' ideas and other schools of thought languished and did not continue to develop....but that is a can of worms. That's not to say I dislike modern playing, I like it very much.
Diegito ( Diego de Moron, nephew not big Diego) is a fantastic soloist. He has really interesting ideas and muy gitano por bulerias.
wow thats manuel silveria looks like if he is vicente's brother !
Vicente actually has a brother who — at one time at least — looked just like him, down to the clothes and the mullet, despite the fact that they aren’t even twins.
As I discovered to my embarrassment once when I found myself talking away to the wrong one.
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