On Feb. 20, Carnegie Hall remembered the legendary flamenco guitarist Paco de Lucía who passed away on Feb. 25, 2014. Over 30 top artists including some of those close to him gathered to remember his teachings and celebrate flamenco.
The Paco de Lucía Legacy Festival is a testament to the enduring legacy of a musical genius and promises to be an unparalleled celebration of the art of flamenco. This extraordinary event brings together world-class musicians, pays tribute to the profound influence of Paco de Lucía, and showcases the vibrant talent of established and emerging flamenco artists.
An opening night cocktail reception was held in the Rohatyn and Shorin Club Rooms at Carnegie Hall before the emotional night of music, attended by numerous people linked to the musician, as well as figures such as Guillermo Fesser and Juan Luis Cano, the basketball player José Manuel Calderón, the award-winning Latin jazz musician and composer Paquito D’Rivera, among others.
The Consul General of Spain in New York, Caridad Batalla, congratulated the Paco de Lucía Foundation for its initiative, confirmed the support of her consulate, and thanked “all the institutions that disseminate Spanish culture.”
Paco de Lucía’s widow, Gabriela Canseco, announced that “this week we brought together musicians who are part of Paco’s great family, musicians who, although some did not know each other, are all united by their music. They all converge because they have drawn on Paco’s work, whether they have played with him or not. Thirty-three musicians who come from different parts of the world and have been living together for four days, rehearsing, remembering, and talking about Paco non-stop,” she said. “Starting tonight they meet in various spaces to translate all those emotions through their personality, their knowledge, and their instruments. They are perfect conditions for Paco’s music to fly and pure magic to occur.”
Magic hit the stage of Carnegie Hall with well-known artists like Diego El Cigala, José Mercé, Carmen Linares, Al di Meola, Rubén Blades, Sílvia Pérez Cruz, and Farruquito, as well as the members of the two sextets that Lucía surrounded himself in his career. Over three hours, the large cast performed classic songs from Paco de Lucía’s repertoire such as “I Only Want to Walk,” “Monasterio de Sal,” “Luzia, La Barrosa” and the popular rumba “Entre dos Aguas,” adding the finishing touch to the concert.
Coming up next at the festival on Feb. 22 are cajon maestros El Piraña and Makarines teaching a compás master class at KJCC-NYU, with a night of surprises at Town Hall with Flamenco Summit Meets New York. Flamenco, Jazz, Latin, and African music will go hand in hand with names like Niño Josele, Rubén Blades, Josemi Carmona, Antonio Rey, Richard Bona, and Pepe Habichuela. The event will feature the dancers Farruquito, Karime Amaya, and Farru. The program includes Alain Pérez, Rafael Riqueni, Antonio Sánchez, and Silvia Pérez Cruz.
On February 23, the Instituto Cervantes New York will host Puro Flamenco, a recital starring Pepe Habichuela, Rafael Riqueni, and Carmen Linares, among others.
Finally, on February 24 at 4 p.m., Quad Cinema will host the screening of the film The Search by Curro Sánchez, son of Paco de Lucía, about the figure of his father. That same morning, at the Ángel Orensanz Foundation, the unreleased album Pepito y Paquito will be presented and the festival will officially close.
