Via commentors Gin & Tonic and Eric, among others. From the BBC:
World-renowned Spanish guitarist Paco de Lucia has died aged 66 in Mexico, reportedly of a heart attack while playing with his children on a beach.
The death of one of the most celebrated flamenco guitarists was announced by the mayor’s office in Algeciras, southern Spain, where he was born…
Famous for a series of flamenco albums in the 1970s, he also crossed over into classical and jazz guitar…
Paying tribute to a “very special musician”, fellow Spanish flamenco guitarist Paco Pena, 71, told BBC Radio 4’s Front Row: “Once in a while someone comes along in a musical discipline who changes everything, who sees things that others have not seen up to that point, and Paco de Lucia was one of these people.
“After him, flamenco radically changed and the proof is that so many young people have taken his lead and now flamenco is full of that virtuosity.”…
There’s some great reminiscences from other musicians and music lovers at the link. CBS adds:
… De Lucia was awarded the Culture Ministry’s Fine Arts Gold Medal in 1992 and the prestigious Prince of Asturias prize for the Arts in 2004.
Never able to read music, de Lucia memorized everything he performed in concert, most famously Joaquin de Rodrigo’s “Concierto de Aranjuez” at London’s Festival Hall in 1991, attended by the composer himself, and considered one of the best interpretations of the piece.
In a documentary, de Lucia once said: “With the guitar I’ve suffered a great deal, but when I’ve had a good time, the suffering seemed worthwhile.”