Paco De Lucia

This is Paco de Lucia- the greatest, most inventive flamenco guitarist of all time. He revolutionized Flamenco guitar and Flamenco music as a whole.

http://www.legalsounds.com/preview?s=121674&__cid=0
http://www.legalsounds.com/preview?s=121676&__cid=0
http://www.esflamenco.com/scripts/product/playreal.asp?frmFile=90955622-05.rm&frmQlty=HIGH

This is probably my favorite photo of the young Paco. The man was second fiddle to the great cante artist Cameron de la Isla. Paco always wanted to be a cantaor (singer) and Cameron always wanted to be a guitarist. Cameron was like a rock star in Spain, and the unpretentious Paco watched as his friend became addicted to the partying lifestyle and eventually overdosed.

Paco got where he is by simply working his ass off. His father forced him to practice long hours at an early age, suggesting that a good Flamenco artist will always have a warm meal available in this world. Little did he know the extent of Paco's future success. He currently lives in Mexico, as he has no possibility of privacy in Spain.

Because I can't provide samples of complete Paco recordings here, I will provide interpretations by the Russian Flamenco prodigy "Grisha". Grisha has flawless technique and is probably the best interpreter of Paco's music, though he lacks some of Paco's gypsy tone (the kind you pick up living in Spain and being exposed to nothing but Flamenco from birth).

http://www.grishagoryachev.com/sound/samples/mp3_128/cepa.mp3
Cepa Andalusia, Bulerias

http://www.grishagoryachev.com/sound/samples/mp3_128/fandango.mp3
Take off of "Aires Choqueros", Fandango (I'm trying to learn this one now, and probably will be for the rest of my life)