PACO PEÑA AND FRIENDS

Paco Peña embodies both authenticity and innovation in flamenco. As guitarist, composer, dramatist, producer and artistic mentor he has transformed perceptions of this archetypal Spanish art form.

This Cubitt Session was created by Paco In collaboration with members of his company, dancer virtuoso Angel Muñoz, lovely Charo Espino on castanets, and Rafael Montilla with essential guitar support. The production of the film, working internationally, was managed by Pacos daughter and manager Elvira Peña.

Born in the Andalucian city of Córdoba, Paco Peña began learning guitar from his brother at the age of six and made his first professional appearance at the age of 12. In the late 1960s he left Spain for London, where his recitals of flamenco music captured the public imagination.

Venues for his solo performances have included the intimate Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club and the monumental Royal Albert Hall in London, New York’s Carnegie Hall and the Concertgebouw, in Amsterdam. He has shared the stage with fellow guitarists, singers and instrumental groups, bridging diverse musical genres, including classical, jazz, blues, country and Latin American.

In 1995 The New York Times declared that: “Mr Peña is a virtuoso, capable of dazzling an audience beyond the frets of mortal man. He combines rapid-fire flourishes with a colourist’s sense of shading; this listener cannot recall hearing any guitarist with a more assured mastery of his instrument.” It should come as no surprise that readers of America’s Guitar magazine judged Paco Peña as best flamenco guitarist of the year for five consecutive years.

Today flamenco continues to excite a growing international audience, many of whom know little of its complex traditions yet who can identify with emotions that are so deeply rooted in the culture: pride of spirit, the vitality of passion and a lust for life, all of which are truly universal.

For Cubitt Sessions Digital, Paco brings to life the intoxicating rhythms, colours and sounds of Andalucía, as one of the greatest living flamenco artists. In collaboration with members of his company working remotely because of covid, creating a digital yet classical form of flamenco concert with bursts of glorious improvisation and virtuoso flamenco technique.

MORE INFORMATION
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