Gypsy Flamenco 96

140 voicings & 10 picking patterns of the gypsy guitar masters Derived from Spanish mythology, the term ’duende’ refers to a heightened state of emotion in response to a piece of art or music. “El duende is the spirit of evocation. It is what gives you chills, makes you smile or cry as a bodily reaction to an artistic performance that is particularly expressive.”

Jazz, flamenco, classical music and tango come together in this musical proposal created in 2004 by the cellist Jose Luis Lopez, saxophonist and flute player Ramiro Obedman and the piansita Pablo Suarez, who made his debut at the Singapore Arts Festival. And since then they have made multiple tours and edited three albums in their name.

Writer Elizabeth Kinder embarks on a journey through Andalusia from Malaga to Cadiz to find the soul of flamenco, the beguiling mix of guitar, song and dance strongly associated with southern Spain's gypsies.

Essential: a masterpiece of progressive rock music
Al DiMeola is what so many shred metal guitarists wish they could be. He can play a ridiculous number of notes per second yet he plays with a musicality seldom rivalled by the genre he helped to inspire. Elegant Gypsy shows Al in his prime, with an intractable lineup featuring flamenco god Paco De Lucia and Mahavishnu organ grinder Jan Hammer. The result is a blazing set of fusion that is over far too soon.