Conjuring up bonfire nights

Flamenco in the hands of Paco de Lucía is magic. Period.

There’s something about the flamenco, be it the song, the dance, or the guitar. For me at least, it conjures up the night in all its possible glory, as also bonfires, passionate but unrequited love, and R D Burman.

One such R D Burman binge on YouTube led me to the music of Paco de Lucía, who is considered to be one of the, if not the greatest flamenco guitarist the world ever saw. The Spanish virtuoso has been credited with putting flamenco on the world stage and showing the courage to let the provincial music absorb and express other musical influences. If you see any of his live performances that are available on YouTube, you will understand why even if you happen to be a novice. Paco plays the guitar with such effervescence and verve that it is hard to sit and listen to him; you would want to groove, sway and immerse yourself in his impeccable guitaring.

Connoisseurs talk about his flawless technique and his dazzling skills, but for someone like me, who is not very well-versed with the technicalities of the instrument, what is obvious is the zip he infuses into the song and the way, even when he is the solo performer (and not the accompanist, which he became too big to be, after a while), the concert feels grand — as if an entire orchestra is beckoning you.

It is hard to recommend a single performance, but fans of Paco believe that if you would like to get introduced to his music, it is better to listen to him in the order in which they were created. That may well be, but my personal favourite happens to be Entre Dos Aguas from his album Fuente Y Caudal. Next time you want to get lost in the magic of the night amidst your work, you know what to listen to.

Play By Ear showcases a potential earworm every week for you, the discerning listener, who is on the hunt for some musical serendipity.