Now on sale is the third cante compilation with Camarón and Carmen Linares, among others

Flamenco-world.com, June 2005

After three volumes centered on the basics of cante, the ‘Pa saber de flamenco’ (‘To Know About Flamenco’) collection, drawing on Universal's extensive archives, focuses on guitar. The album ‘Pa saber de guitarra’ (‘To Know About Guitar’) compiles sixteen toques performed by the most outstanding guitarists in flamenco history. Today's maestros such as Paco de Lucía, Manolo Sanlúcar and Tomatito are there, but it does not forget greats from the past like Sabicas, Melchor de Marchena, Ramón Montoya and Niño Ricardo. This record coincides with the release of ‘Pa saber de flamenco 3’, which opens with the tangos ‘Como el agua’ by Camarón de la Isla and closes with ‘Sólo quiero caminar’ by Paco de Lucía. Between the first cut and the sixteenth, there is a varied selection of cantes and cantaores of the so-called golden era; among others, La Paquera de Jerez, Antonio Mairena, Fosforito, Manolo Caracol and Terremoto de Jerez. A must.

“The styles contained on this album show the many sides of this wonderful music”. This sentence included in the libretto (in Spanish and English) of the first volume of ‘Pa saber de flamenco’, subtitled with the title of the most transgressing album by Camarón - ‘La leyenda del tiempo’ -, sums up the essence of this collection of compilations now in its third volume.

‘Pa saber de flamenco 3’ offers another selection of sixteen tracks reflecting the diversity of at least half a century of flamenco. As is usual in the collection, Camarón and Paco de Lucía flank the new selection of sixteen tracks. Standing out are the fandangos caracoleros ‘De la Torre de la Vela’ by Manolo Caracol, the seguiriyas ‘Tanto llamar’ by Antonio Mairena, the bulerías ‘Qué dolor de mare mía’ by La Paquera de Jerez and the rumba ‘Tú volverás’ by Bambino.

Although guitar makes itself present on this album, especially conceived for toque lovers is ‘Pa saber de guitarra’. The Universal record company archives store genuine jewels, as is demonstrated by this selection of sixteen tracks kicking of with ‘Almoraima’ by Paco de Lucía and finishing with ‘Almoradí’ by José María Pardo. Manolo Sanlúcar, Tomatito, Juan Habichuela, Sabicas, Niño Miguel, Ramón Montoya, Niño Ricardo and Melchor de Marchena are also in this fundamental ‘catalogue’ for listeners seeking to have discovering the best made easy for them.

Other compilations

At the same time, the same record label offers a taste of its archives in two volumes under the title ‘El flamenco es universal’ (‘Flamenco Is Universal’). The same strategy is followed by Emi, with the compilations ‘Con poderío. Nuestro mejor flamenco’ (‘With Power. Our Best Flamenco’), ‘Descubre el flamenco’ (‘Discover Flamenco’) and the double album ‘Un siglo con duende’ (‘A Century with Duende’), all of them with fitting selection criteria combining current talents with maestros from the past. The latter is the specialty of Sonifolk, which in the compilation ‘Grandes maestros del flamenco’ (‘Great Flamenco Maestros’) includes the best of the oldest archives, with names of the likes of El Tenazas, Antonio Chacón, El Mochuelo and Manuel Torres. You can pick and choose.

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