I don’t think there is much discussion about the stature of Paco de Lucía. He was the greatest flamenco guitarist in the world. On this studio album from 1976 he can be enjoyed combining Arabian modes called maqams with flamenco. The south of Spain is full of Arabian influence, both in its history and in its musical culture. On this album, De Lucía is emphasising that.
Paco was born as Francisco Sánchez Gómez in 1947 in the southern port of Algeciras, near Gibraltar. He was the youngest of five children, many of them also flamenco artists. Many of his songs were written by his brother Pepe, and on this record he collaborates with Ramón. It was Ramón who taught him the guitar. He adopted the stage name Paco de Lucía early on, as a reference to his mother. According to the customs of the south of Spain, it means son of Lucía.
What makes Paco de Lucía the greatest of flamenco players is not only his lightning fast skills, but also his ability to mix flamenco with different styles of music. Jazz and pop music, and even classical music (he couldn’t read notes) were blended with this traditional flamenco, elevating that traditional style.