Flamenco and Tango

I agree with Herman (above) on the Paco De Lucia - however I wouldn't say that since he has slipped into other genres of music for special appearances - or interests - that he is not a traditional Flamenco artist. By most accounts, he is one of the finest guitarists (flamenco or otherwise) who has ever lived. I know Paco has received a great deal of criticism on the internet from Flamenco "fans" regarding his jazz performances and solo ventures but how can any astute listener let those efforts detract from the man's capabilities and flawless technique when playing Flamenco in its PURIST form? To me, that is just asinine.

Also - Flamenco in its PURIST form is very (and I mean VERY) difficult to listen to. Try some Paco De Lucia with El Camaron De La Isla if you want an example of pure flamenco which will spend maybe 30 seconds in your CD player before you destroy the disk...

Most people tend to confuse Flamenco with Rhumba (which in turn can be categorized as music from The Gypsy Kings - among others). Many of Paco De Lucia's efforts can also be categorized as Rhumba.

What most people do not realize is that Flamenco itself is more about the dance than the guitar, which is simply there for accompaniment purposes. Traditional Flamenco in a purist sense is a form of dance (not guitar).

The training of a Flamenco guitarist and the art in its most simplistic form focuses on whether or not the guitarist can keep the "PRaT". A great "purist" flamenco guitarist keeps the beat/rhythm for the dancers. Style and added flair given by the guitarist is secondary.

Just my two pesetas -

Oh.. if you want some "popular" sounding "flamenco" music try Luis Villegas. The Spanish Kiss album is a good place to start and very well recorded. This is Nuevo Flamenco and most likely the type of music people are looking for when they request Flamenco music.

I am not very organized right now, but the last two CD's of this type that I picked up are:

Enrique Morente "Lorca" on the Marada label

Flamenco Highlights from Spain (six artists) on the International Passport label.

Both are a good listen.

Another gut string guitar player to check out (if you enjoy this instrument) is Juanjo Dominguez, who pushes it to the edge (his edge anyway - which is nice).

Sorry, all of the Tango is buried right now, but there should be some recommendation's if you do a search (seems like there was a thread in the past year on this and/or world music).

Kelly can kid, but I just purchased a huge mint Lesbian LP collection for $12. So, don't laugh, or do laugh (I'm not quite certain on this one).

Bwhite, your points are well taken. Paco De Lucia is one of my favotite artists and I agree that his explorations of other genres in no way detracts from his artistry. For one of his albums that blends traditional Flamenco with a little twist try "Solo Quiero Caminar" on Phillips. The rhythms, progressions, and singing draw heavily on the traditional with some non-traditional instruments thrown in to good effect.

As for pure flamenco being difficult, it is the singing that is the hardest to acquire a taste for. It can sound a bit like a spanish cat with his family jewels in a vise to the uninitiated. But I like it.

Another good album in a more traditional style is "gypsy flamenco" by Carlos Heredia on Chesky. Very well recorded to Chesky's usual standards. A lot of the aforementioned cat wailing, excellent stuff.

I'm wondering why nobody named Paco de Lucia "dos guitarras flamencas en america latina". To me this is best of the best and I've heard almost everything what was mentioned.
But don't by all Paco de Lucia without listening first, there are exceptions from the rule
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If you like popular tango/flamenco,here is a few more artists.Jose Luis Encinas,Armik,Jesse cook,Oscar Lopez,Strunz & Farah.