Trabajo realizado para el encuentro en Óverpelt (Bélgica), correspondiente al proyecto escolar europeo Comenius

1. PACO DE LUCÍA
THE GUITARIST
He was acquainted with flamenco
since childhood. His father and his
brother were his main influences.
When he was 11 years old, he
Francisco Sánchez Gómez, made his first public appearance on
stage name Paco de Lucía Radio Algeciras, and a year later
was born in 1947, in was awarded a special prize in the
Algeciras, a city in the Jerez flamenco competition.
province of Cádiz, it is
located south of Spain
directly in front of the Rock
of Gibraltar.
He was youngest of five children. He adopted
the stage name Paco de Lucía in honor of his
Portuguese mother, Lucía Gomes.

2. At 12, he began playing with his
brother in a group. Some years later
they toured the world, starting his
international career. By 1970, he
had gained so great a reputation
that he was asked to perform at an
international festival organized for
the bicentennial of Beethoven’s
death, celebrated at Barcelona’s
Palau de la Música. Paco de Lucia became a star of the charts in
1973 with “Entre dos aguas” rumba that got
the youngest beginning to become interested
in flamenco guitar. His 2004 recording
“'Cositas buenas,” was nominated as best
contemporary world music album by the
Grammys and won the Latin Grammy for Best
Flamenco Album.
He enjoyed a fruitful collaboration with fellow New
Flamenco cantaor (one of the premier flamenco singers)
Camarón de la Isla. They began a long and productive
relationship.

3. He has been criticized by purists flamenco for his forays
into other styles, because he has included bass, drums
and saxophone and his high profle collaborations,
specially with jazz musician, most notably with pianist
Chick Corea and fellow guitarist John McLaughlin, Larry
Coryell and Al DiMeola
He has recorded over twenty albums, among which
are: “Two flamenco guitars" (1965), “Twelve songs
of García Lorca for guitar" (1965), “Andalusian
songs for two guitars", “Fuente y caudal" (1973 ),
“Almoraima" (1976), “Sólo quiero caminar" (1981),
“Siroco" (1987), “Zyryab" (1990), “Concierto de
Aranjuez" (1991), “Luzia" (1998) and
“Cositas"(2004).

4. He was one of the best flamenco
teacher and a revolutionary in the
genre. His influence has changed
the conception of flamenco music
during the last three decades.
Over the course of his career, he
has made many revolutionary
changes in flamenco.
He is considered the most prestigious
flamenco guitarist internationally and the most
influential flamenco musician of our time.
Widely acclaimed for his innovative approach
to the ancient art, he has won flamenco a wide
audience around the world through his
compositions.
He was the first flamenco artist to
receive Spain’s 2004 Premio Príncipe
de Asturias. The University of Cadiz
recognized de Lucía's musical and
cultural contributions by conferring
on him the title of Doctor Honoris
Causa on March 23, 2007.