Venue: Cankarjev dom, Ljubljana
Concert date: 14.02.2010
Attendance: 0
Paco de Lucia is undisputedly a master of the classical guitar. He’s best known for his flamenco work, but over his long career he has also collaborated with many other giants of world music. His contribution outside flamenco is felt most strongly in jazz, since his collaborations with John McLaughlin, Al di Meola and Chick Corea are nothing to sneeze at. De Lucia has always tried to push his style further, and he has undoubtedly pulled it off while looking for inspiration beyond the standard flamenco templates.
Even before the show, the crew had dressed the stage with lush green plants as a backdrop. I think it was some kind of palm, which conjured up a Mediterranean vibe before a single note was played. That got even stronger when Paco walked on in his white shirt and unbuttoned vest. The rest of the “starting lineup” was dressed in the same Mediterranean spirit.
At the start, Paco was joined by a percussionist, two singers who clapped more than they sang, and one more clapper who later turned into a dancer. That lineup led us into the world of Paco’s flamenco. The focus, of course, was on his skills, which have never been in question. This is a guy whose sheer depth of knowledge can make you want to give up playing guitar, because you know you’ll hardly ever reach that level. But he can also be a source of inspiration – you always have a goal you want to get to.
Paco showed us right in the opening stretch that he’s a beast on the classical guitar. For my taste there was way too much soloing and way too little melody and development of the main themes, but there was a solid rhythmic foundation, which let Paco show off his muscles without a care in the world.
After those opening sighs, the stage filled up with a keyboardist who played harmonica almost more than keys (no, it wasn’t Lojze Petrle), a bassist, and an extra guitarist. With this fresh firepower the show heated up even more. Alongside Paco’s guitar attacks, we also heard the seemingly unpredictable vocal acrobatics of both singers. Vocals in flamenco are very specific. The voice has to be hoarse, raspy, throaty, almost smoker’s. In that way it’s also very reminiscent of rock and blues, but the articulation is quite different here, the sequence of tones differs a lot from typical Western patterns, and even the singing technique itself is a bit unusual. So those of us who aren’t used to this tradition got to hear something unconventional in that department too. The crowd was already going wild over all of this, some as if it were their first concert ever, but that wasn’t the end of the goodies. Somewhere in the middle of the set, one of the clappers left his spot and danced on a special wooden platform. Long hair tied back in a ponytail, aggressive, fiery dancing – the whole thing kind of reminded me of Antonio Banderas, and many a female visitor (maybe a few male ones too) surely melted at the sight of those strong thighs and that moving expression. After the dance, there was more of Paco’s playing. For a while he handed the reins of lead guitar to his younger colleague, who also proved himself an excellent flamenco guitarist. In fact, we heard solo spots on pretty much every instrument throughout the show, which just goes to show Paco isn’t overly self-absorbed. After a thunderous round of applause, the main players came back out and once again showed what they’re made of. The crowd was in ecstasy, and of course the musicians earned a standing ovation.
Stylistically, the concert went as expected. De Lucia mostly sticks to flamenco guidelines, but you can definitely tell about his extra “schooling” in jazz. That flavor often comes through on the guitar, which certainly spices things up. All the musicians on stage were totally focused on their work. That went most of all for the “boss,” who didn’t say a single word to the audience, at most the odd stray glance. All of that is normal for this kind of music and almost gave it the feel of a classical recital.
The concert was played very properly. More than that, two hours is more than you can expect from a “bigger” show. The sound was very good and, as is typical for Cankarjev dom, always at a good volume. Rock and jazz gigs at other venues are always deafening, but Cankarjev dom proves time and again that great sound doesn’t need excessive loudness.
Like I said, Paco is a real guitar beast. At first he’s the one feeding the audience. Despite the lack of communication and the classical reserve, the crowd was eating out of his hand, and before long, in their trance, they were ready for the slaughter. With his one-of-a-kind skills, the Spanish guitar virtuoso turned individual audience members into one big euphoric mass, almost entirely convinced they’d witnessed something that could never be repeated.
Photos: Rok Podgrajšek
Photo Gallery
