National Geographic Music (National Geographic)

You can argue long and hard about the origins of the word flamenco. And certainly it's a mongrel music, with elements of Romany, Arab and Jewish sounds that co-mingled over the years in its Andalusian home. But there's little debate over its great figures. The greatest contemporary figure in the music, and certainly the best-known internationally, is the virtuoso guitarist Paco de Lucía.

Born Francisco Sanchez Gomez in 1947, in Algericas, close to Spain's southern coast, he had music in his genes. His laborer father supplemented his wages by playing guitar at night, while his older brothers were also steeped in flamenco: Ramon played guitar and Pepe sang. From the age of five, Paco studied with his father and brother, displaying all the signs of a prodigy. His public debut came in 1958, at the age of 11, when he appeared on Radio Algeciras. Within a year he'd taken a special prize at the prestigious Festival Concurso International Flamenco de Jerez de la Frontera, the proving ground for flamenco artists.

By the time he was 14, de Lucía was on the road, playing guitar with the flamenco troupe led by dancer Jose Greco, where he remained for three years, touring the world. It was while he was in the U.S. that he encountered Sabicas, the guitarist who helped put flamenco on the map in America, and was told to develop a more personal style. There was still a lot to be learned, however, and de Lucía applied himself to his studies, joining Festival Flamenco Gitano, a large annual showcase tour, with which he'd perform for the next seven years.

At the age of 18 he was ready to make his recording debut. Sound as it was technically, the music and style was still derivative. Within the space of two short years, however, de Lucía advanced by massive leaps and bounds, so that 1967's La Fabulosa Guitarra de Paco de Lucía bristled with youthful energy and creativity as he began to find his voice. On Fantasia Flamenca, in 1969, he'd come completely into his own. His music nipped at the style's traditions, pushing and prodding the music in different directions.

Not that his love for pure flamenco wasn't profound. He showed his deep roots on the 10 discs he made with the great vocalist El Camarón de la Isla, all perfectly balanced duets where duende, or transcendence, became a reality. But de Lucía has always understood innately exactly what to play, and when, and how to leave space in his music. Throughout the '70s he developed his passionate style, hitting a peak on the masterful Almoraima and even scoring a hit in 1973 with "Entre Dos Aguas."

To expect any curious musician to limit himself is to stifle him. And de Lucía had only just begun to explore music. In 1981 he formed his sextet (including both his brothers as members, along with bass, saxophone and drums). If that was iconoclastic, his next move was heresy to purists: he began sullying his flamenco with jazz. He collaborated with guitarists John McLaughlin, Al Di Meola and Larry Coryell, and playing with keyboardist Chick Corea. He moved happily between styles, testing himself, and adding to his music, recording soundtracks to films and ballet, jazz, and sliding back to his roots for the stunning Siroco in 1987. Throughout the '90s he continued to follow his artistic muse, even going classical with a version of Concerto de Aranjuez in 1993. But however far he traveled, he never lost sight of where his heart truly lay, always returning to flamenco.

He's come back to it with his heart on his sleeve with Cositas Buenas, a record that skillfully manages the tricky balance between tradition and progress. While powered by the flamenco handclaps called palmas (and magically pairing his playing with the singing of the now-deceased El Camerón de la Isla on "Que Venge El Alba"), he plays with emotion and maturity in several styles, and even sings on a pair of cuts. Most delightful, though, are his two excursions into rumba. On "El Dengue" he's accompanied by a second guitar, while "Casa Bernardo" offers a more Cuban experience as de Lucía reaches out toward Latin music.

It's all proof that he's lost nothing as he's grown older. If anything, he's gained a lot. Flamenco guitar isn't just about fingers flying over a fretboard; it's about the experience of life, about passion, and the communication of emotion. And now in his late 50s, de Lucía is unquestionably a grand master of all that. — Chris Nickson, Courtesy Global Rhythm Magazine: www.globalrhythm.net