What flamenco is NOT
Guido Luciani
Guido's CD 'Baja Café' is smooth and relaxing and really laid back. It's nice. I personally prefer the more
inventive, up-beat tracks on 'Azucar'. I also like his tasteful use of castanets. He is obviously an accomplished
player with some flamenco guitar background. You see, I am a nice guy. Here is a promotional
review of his album Azucar. "Azucar" is Spanish for "sugar".... ummmmm! Stirring music
with Flamenco, Brazilian, and Central American influences. Opens up the sexual chakra!" With all due
respect to Mr. Luciani, this is typical of the syrupy descriptions found on the back covers of so-called New Age
"flamenco" genre CD's. So where can you find 'Baja Café' and 'Azucar' in a music store? In the New Age section? The
Latin section? Easy Listening perhaps? Well, that's where they should be if the store owner takes the trouble to
actually listen to them. Maybe there should be orientation courses where music store managers and the counter
chicks are educated in music genres, styles and influences. Not much hope of that though. Here's a tip. Considering
Guido's influences, his CD's are more likely to be listed in catalogs under the flamenco section by default, rather
than considering Brazilian or Central American categories. To separate these CD's, and all the other genre
territory poachers, I would like to see a category called "influenced by flamenco".
Azucar
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