Sabicas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sabicas
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Paco Peña and Sabicas (right)
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| Background information | |
| Born | 16 March 1912 |
| Origin | Pamplona, Spain |
| Died | 14 April 1990 |
| Genres | Flamenco music |
| Occupation(s) | |
| Instruments | Guitar |
| Labels |
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| Associated acts | Carmen Amaya |
Sabicas (born Agustín Castellón Campos) was a famous Spanish flamenco guitarist. He was born on March 16, 1912, and passed away on April 14, 1990. Sabicas was from the Romani community. He became known for his amazing guitar skills and helped share flamenco music with the world.
Contents
Who Was Sabicas?
His Early Life and Music
Sabicas was born in Pamplona, a city in Spain. He started playing the guitar when he was just five years old. By the time he was seven, he was already performing for audiences.
When he was young, his guitar style was influenced by Ramón Montoya. Ramón Montoya was also a famous flamenco guitarist and was related to Sabicas's mother. Sabicas worked with many important cantaores (male flamenco singers) of his time. This helped him create his own special way of playing.
Moving to New York
In 1936, during the Spanish Civil War, Sabicas left Spain. He moved to Latin America with a famous flamenco dancer named Carmen Amaya. They toured together many times, showing their art to people.
Sabicas lived in Mexico City for a while. He married Esperanza González Erazo and they had four children together. Later, he moved to New York City in the United States. There, he became good friends with classical guitarist Rolando Valdés-Blain. Sabicas did not return to his home country of Spain until 1967.
Sabicas' Amazing Guitar Skills
Sabicas played a big part in introducing flamenco music to people outside of Spain. He was especially known for his incredible technical skills. He could play picados (fast scales) and arpeggios (broken chords) at lightning speed.
He was also a great composer, writing many pieces for different flamenco styles. His rhythm was always perfect, which was very important when he played with dancers. People also believed he had perfect pitch, meaning he could identify any musical note just by hearing it. Famous guitarist Chet Atkins once said Sabicas had "the finest technique around."
His Influence on Flamenco
Sabicas was one of the greatest flamenco guitarists ever. He was not only a master of technique but also a brilliant composer. He played flamenco at a level that was new and exciting. He even created new ways of playing that opened up fresh possibilities for the guitar as a solo instrument.
He brought flamenco music to big concert halls and theaters. This made his art available to many different kinds of people. Many modern flamenco players look up to Sabicas. Guitarists like Paco de Lucía, Paco Pena, Tomatito, and Vicente Amigo all say that Sabicas's music greatly influenced them.
Sabicas passed away in a hospital in New York at the age of 78.
His Music Albums
Sabicas recorded many albums during his career. Here are some of his well-known works:
- 1949 Flamencan Guitar Solos
- 1957 Sabicas Vol. 1
- 1958 Gypsy Flamenco
- 1959 Flamenco! (with Carmen Amaya)
- 1959 Solo Flamenco
- 1960 Soul of Flamenco
- 1962 Concierto en Flamenco (with orchestra)
- 1965 El Rey del Flamenco
- 1969 3 Guitarras Tiene Sabicas
- 1970 Rock Encounter (with Joe Beck)
- 1976 The Art of the Guitar
- 1990 Nueva York-Granada (with Enrique Morente)
See also
In Spanish: Sabicas para niños
