NEW YORK.- Al Di Meola, Rubn Blades and Diego “El Cigala” were some of the thirty artists that on Tuesday night they honored the guitar player y compositor Spanish Paco de Luca in NYon the occasion of the tenth anniversary of his death.
Most of the 33 artists invited to the century-old Carnegie Hall concert hall – only the Malian singer Salif Keita who was scheduled to be on the program was missing – performed songs composed by Francisco Sánchez Gómez, the real name of Paco de Luca, born in Algeciras ( Cádiz, southern Spain) and died on February 25, 2014 of a heart attack in Cancún (Mexico) at the age of 66.
In the offering of this unique evening there was cante jondo coming from the throats of José Merc, Diego “El Cigala”, Carmen Linares or Duquende, chords from the guitars of Pepe Habichuela, the gypsy patriarch of one of the most respected families of flamenco, from his son Josemi Carmona, Rafael Riqueni, Antonio Rey, JM Bandera or Nio Josele; the percussion of Tino Di Geraldo and dancers like Farruco and Farruquito.
In the image of the legacy of Paco de Luca, who expanded the limits of flamenco to incorporate rhythms such as jazz, bossa nova or classical music, the Spanish guitar was joined by other instruments such as the harmonica of Antonio Serrano or the transverse flute of Jorge Pardo to perform songs like High seas, Cancin de amor and the Fire Dance by Manuel de Falla, to whom the Spanish guitarist dedicated an album in 1992.
But also violins, piano, accordion and even an African kora – a mix of harp and lute – that contributed to turning more than three hours of concert into a magical night for the spectators of the packed hall of the emblematic New York theater, a permanent source of inspiration for music lovers.
A modernizer of flamenco
Throughout his extensive career in which he recorded 38 albums, Paco de Luca collaborated with international artists such as Carlos Santana, Al Di Meola and John McLaughlin, but also with other flamenco figures such as Camarón de la Isla or Tomatito, with whom he modernized the concept of classic flamenco.
The author of albums like Between two waters, Luzia o I just want to walk changed the course of flamenco forever by bringing this art to the international music scene, remember the organizers of this New York tribute that will continue until Saturday with other activities in other smaller formats and in other venues in the city.
The final touch will be the screening of the film The searchdirected by his son Curro Sánchez on the 24th. Likewise, the organizers, the Paco de Luca Foundation and the Junta de Andaluca, the governing body of this Spanish region, announced the upcoming publication of an unreleased album by the composer.
These acts are an appetizer of the 23rd edition of the New York flamenco festival that is celebrated from March 1 to 17, and which will also pay tribute to the deceased artist.
It will also commemorate the IV centenary of the death of the musician and poet Vicente Espinel, a Spanish priest, writer and musician of the Golden Age who is credited with having added the fifth string to the Spanish guitar as we know it today.
FUENTE: AP
