In Memoriam
Paco de Lucía
December 21, 1947 – February 25, 2014 · aged 66
Flamenco · Jazz · World Music
Francisco Gustavo Sánchez Gómez, known globally as Paco de Lucía, was a Spanish virtuoso who completely revolutionized the flamenco guitar. Born in Andalusia in 1947, he possessed a dazzling, almost superhuman technical proficiency, marked by his lightning-fast picados (lead lines) and complex rasgueados (strumming). However, de Lucía was never content to simply preserve tradition. He audaciously pushed flamenco into the modern era, incorporating elements of jazz, bossa nova, and classical music. His 1973 instrumental rumba 'Entre dos aguas' became a massive international hit, a rarity for flamenco music. He reached new heights of global fame with the 1981 live acoustic album 'Friday Night in San Francisco,' recorded alongside fellow guitar legends Al Di Meola and John McLaughlin, which showcased breathtaking improvisational duels. De Lucía died suddenly of a heart attack while on vacation with his family in Mexico on February 25, 2014, at the age of 66. He is universally remembered as the greatest flamenco guitarist who ever lived.
Milestones
Entre dos aguas, Friday Night in San Francisco
Also remembered in 2014
- Frankie Knuckles (1955–2014)
- Joe Cocker (1944–2014)
- Pete Seeger (1919–2014)
- Tommy Ramone (1949–2014)