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