Paco de Lucía

Francisco Sánchez Gómez (21 December 1947- 25 February 2014), better known as Paco de Lucía, was a Spanish musician and composer considered the best flamenco guitarist and one of the most virtuous on the instrument worldwide. Over the years, his music gradually opened up to new styles, while it began to performed successfully in Europe, Latin and North America and Japan.

The role of the flamenco guitar evolved considerably through the playing of Paco de Lucia. Considered one of the main figures of flamenco, he is credited with the responsibility of the reform that brought this art to the international music scene thanks to the inclusion of deeply personal melodic statements and modern instrumentation. In this way, his collaborations with international artists such as Carlos Santana, Chick Corea, Al Di Meola and John McLaughlin stand out, as well as with other flamenco figures such as Camarón de la Isla and Tomatito, with whom he modernised the concept of classical flamenco.

Throughout his career, he recorded a total of 38 records. He received, among many other awards, two Latin Grammy Awards for his albums “Cositas buenas” (2004) and “En vivo Conciertos España” (2010), the Gold Medal for Merit in the Fine Arts (1992), the Prince of Asturias Award for the Arts (2004), Doctor Honoris Causa by the Berklee College of Music (2010)