Paco Peña
Encyclopedia
Paco Peña is a Spanish
flamenco
guitarist. He is regarded as one of the world's foremost traditional Flamenco players.
Born in Córdoba, Spain
as Francisco Peña Pérez, Paco Peña began learning to play the guitar
from his brother at age 6 and made his first professional appearance at 12. Encouraged by his family, he left home and began performing throughout Spain with a government-sponsored folk music
and dance program. This led to calls from professional Flamenco companies in Madrid
and the Costa Brava
, where Peña established himself as a highly-regarded accompanist to Flamenco dance and singing. However, dissatisfied with life on the coast and seeking a new challenge, he moved to London
in the late 1960s to become a soloist. Initially the star attraction in the Restaurante Antonio in Covent Garden, Peña generated so much interest among a British public previously uninitiated in Flamenco that he soon found himself sharing concerts with artists such as Jimi Hendrix
, and made his solo debut at Wigmore Hall
in 1967. It was not long before Peña was touring the world, both as a soloist and an accompanist with performances at Carnegie Hall
in New York City
, the Royal Albert Hall
in London
and the Concertgebouw
in Amsterdam
. He later founded the world's first university
course on flamenco guitar, at the Rotterdam
conservatory of music.
Peña also created the Centro Flamenco Paco Peña in Córdoba, and was responsible for the founding of the now-celebrated annual Córdoba Guitar Festival, which has seen appearances by other Flamenco greats such as Manolo Sanlúcar
and Paco de Lucía
.
In 1997 Peña was named Oficial de la Cruz de la Orden del Mérito Civil by King Juan Carlos of Spain.
His most famous compositions include his Misa Flamenca, a Flamenco Mass and Requiem for the Earth, both of which have received great critical acclaim.
He has also had a number of notable collaborations, significantly with the guitarist Eduardo Falú
and the Chile
an group Inti Illimani.
Paco Peña has homes in London and Córdoba. His most recent show is Flamenco Sin Fronteras (2009), which explores the relationship between Venezuela
n music and Flamenco.
Peña is a good friend of classical guitarist John Williams
, and they have frequently played concerts together.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
flamenco
Flamenco
Flamenco is a genre of music and dance which has its foundation in Andalusian music and dance and in whose evolution Andalusian Gypsies played an important part....
guitarist. He is regarded as one of the world's foremost traditional Flamenco players.
Born in Córdoba, Spain
Córdoba, Spain
-History:The first trace of human presence in the area are remains of a Neanderthal Man, dating to c. 32,000 BC. In the 8th century BC, during the ancient Tartessos period, a pre-urban settlement existed. The population gradually learned copper and silver metallurgy...
as Francisco Peña Pérez, Paco Peña began learning to play the guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
from his brother at age 6 and made his first professional appearance at 12. Encouraged by his family, he left home and began performing throughout Spain with a government-sponsored folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
and dance program. This led to calls from professional Flamenco companies in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
and the Costa Brava
Costa Brava
The Costa Brava is a coastal region of northeastern Catalonia, Spain, in the comarques of Alt Empordà, Baix Empordà and Selva, in the province of Girona. Costa is the Catalan and Spanish word for 'coast', and Brava means 'rugged' or 'wild'...
, where Peña established himself as a highly-regarded accompanist to Flamenco dance and singing. However, dissatisfied with life on the coast and seeking a new challenge, he moved to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in the late 1960s to become a soloist. Initially the star attraction in the Restaurante Antonio in Covent Garden, Peña generated so much interest among a British public previously uninitiated in Flamenco that he soon found himself sharing concerts with artists such as Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
, and made his solo debut at Wigmore Hall
Wigmore Hall
Wigmore Hall is a leading international recital venue that specialises in hosting performances of chamber music and is best known for classical recitals of piano, song and instrumental music. It is located at 36 Wigmore Street, London, UK and was built to provide London with a venue that was both...
in 1967. It was not long before Peña was touring the world, both as a soloist and an accompanist with performances at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, the Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and the Concertgebouw
Concertgebouw
The Concertgebouw is a concert hall in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The Dutch term "concertgebouw" literally translates into English as "concert building"...
in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
. He later founded the world's first university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
course on flamenco guitar, at the Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
conservatory of music.
Peña also created the Centro Flamenco Paco Peña in Córdoba, and was responsible for the founding of the now-celebrated annual Córdoba Guitar Festival, which has seen appearances by other Flamenco greats such as Manolo Sanlúcar
Manolo Sanlúcar
Manolo Sanlúcar is a flamenco composer and guitarist born in Sanlúcar de Barrameda in 1945. He is considered one of the most important Spanish composers of present times, and together with Paco de Lucía, Serranito, and Vicente Amigo, one of the main figures in the evolution of the flamenco...
and Paco de Lucía
Paco de Lucía
Paco de Lucía, born Francisco Sánchez Gómez , is a Spanish virtuoso flamenco guitarist and composer. He is considered by many to be one of the finest guitarists in the world and the greatest guitarist of the flamenco genre...
.
In 1997 Peña was named Oficial de la Cruz de la Orden del Mérito Civil by King Juan Carlos of Spain.
His most famous compositions include his Misa Flamenca, a Flamenco Mass and Requiem for the Earth, both of which have received great critical acclaim.
He has also had a number of notable collaborations, significantly with the guitarist Eduardo Falú
Eduardo Falú
Eduardo Falú is a well-known Argentine folk music guitarist and composer.-Life and work:Eduardo Falú was born in El Galpón, a village near San José de Metán in the province of Salta, Argentina in 1923. His parents, Juan and Fada Falú, were Syrian immigrants...
and the Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
an group Inti Illimani.
Paco Peña has homes in London and Córdoba. His most recent show is Flamenco Sin Fronteras (2009), which explores the relationship between Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
n music and Flamenco.
Peña is a good friend of classical guitarist John Williams
John Williams (guitarist)
John Christopher Williams is an Australian classical guitarist, and a long-term resident of the United Kingdom. In 1973, he shared a Grammy Award win in the 'Best Chamber Music Performance' category with Julian Bream for Julian and John .-Biography:John Williams was born on 24 April 1941 in...
, and they have frequently played concerts together.
Discography
- 2008 A Compas!
- 2007 His Essential Recordings
- 2007 A Flamenco Guitar Recital (Live)
- 2007 Requiem for the Earth
- 2004 Fabulous Flamenco / La Gitarra Flamenca (Remastered)
- 2003 Flamenco Master: Essential flamenco recordings
- 2000 Flamenco Guitar
- 1999 Arte y Pasión (Live)
- 1995 The Art of Paco Peña
- 1992 Encuentro (with Eduardo FalúEduardo FalúEduardo Falú is a well-known Argentine folk music guitarist and composer.-Life and work:Eduardo Falú was born in El Galpón, a village near San José de Metán in the province of Salta, Argentina in 1923. His parents, Juan and Fada Falú, were Syrian immigrants...
) - 1992 Azahara
- 1991 Misa Flamenca
- 1990 Leyenda (Live in Cologne Inti-IllimaniInti-IllimaniInti-Illimani is an instrumental and vocal Latin American folk music ensemble from Chile. The group was formed in 1967 by a group of university students and it acquired widespread popularity in Chile for their song Venceremos which became the anthem of the Popular Unity government of Salvador...
with John WilliamsJohn Williams (guitarist)John Christopher Williams is an Australian classical guitarist, and a long-term resident of the United Kingdom. In 1973, he shared a Grammy Award win in the 'Best Chamber Music Performance' category with Julian Bream for Julian and John .-Biography:John Williams was born on 24 April 1941 in...
) - 1987 Fragments of a Dream (Inti-IllimaniInti-IllimaniInti-Illimani is an instrumental and vocal Latin American folk music ensemble from Chile. The group was formed in 1967 by a group of university students and it acquired widespread popularity in Chile for their song Venceremos which became the anthem of the Popular Unity government of Salvador...
with John WilliamsJohn Williams (guitarist)John Christopher Williams is an Australian classical guitarist, and a long-term resident of the United Kingdom. In 1973, he shared a Grammy Award win in the 'Best Chamber Music Performance' category with Julian Bream for Julian and John .-Biography:John Williams was born on 24 April 1941 in...
) - 1986 Flamenco Guitar Music of Ramón Montoya and Niño Ricardo
- 1985 Flamenco Vivo
- 1980 Live at Sadler’s Wells
- 1979 Live in London
- 1978 The Flamenco World of Paco Peña
- 1977 La Gitarra Flamenca [sic]
- 1976 Toques Flamencos (with book)
- 1975 Fabulous Flamenco!
- 1973 The Art of the Flamenco Guitar
- 1972 Flamenco Puro Live
- 1970 Flamenco
- 1970 The Art of Flamenco
- 1969 Carnival (with Los Marachuchos)
- 1968 The Incredible Paco Peña