What flamenco is NOT

Jose Feliciano
Jose Feliciano has a special place in my heart. He was one of my earliest guitar inspirations back in the 60's and some of his songs still bring a tear to my eye. Feliciano has been described as "the original crossover artist". With over 65 albums and 6 Grammy awards to his credit, he certainly deserves my admiration for these remarkable achievements, especially since he taught himself how to play the guitar. I would just like to point out here that the word 'flamenco' does not appear anywhere in his bio.

I have personally never heard any tracks based on a 12 beat compás in any of the recordings I've listened to. This comes as no surprise to me since traditional flamenco is not what he's famous for. Try telling that to record companies and tour promoters. In the past they have played a major role in spreading their own misconceptions, by billing artists such as Jose Feliciano as "flamenco guitarists". Consequently when playing in a restaurant, one of the questions I am asked after plugging the guitar lead into the amplifier is "Where's your microphone?".

<< Previous    1  2  [3]  4  5  ...13    Next >>