Search - Manitas De Plata, Jose Reyes :: Manitas De Plata at Carnegie Hall

My view on Manitas

H.J. Gordijn | Broek op Langedijk, the Netherlands, also known as | 04/01/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've bought " At Carnegie Hall" and I didn't regretit. I never thought I could still find a record from the period inwhich Manitas builded his fame. Since I heard him for the first time I bought all his records I could find and still I was too late for some. Now, at Amazon, I could buy another one from that time. I like the record very well. There are no better records from Manitas than those from the beginning of his carreer. His skills are even nowadays tremendous, he's about eighty years old and still performs as fiercy as ever. Listen to a sample of Manitas de Plata from 199. When you love " At Carnegie Hall" , you love " Manitas and friends" and "Juerga!" even better. These records are his first and were, after a long period of persuasion, recorded in a chapel near the Ceasar's Palace in the french town Arles. At first he didn't wanted to perform but after a lot of effords from his friends he gave in. The result was a marvelous carreer. I was there when he performed in the Orkest gebouw (Concert Hall) in Amsterdam, Holland in december 1972). Together with "Los Baliardos" and José Reyes he brought me a great night (it started at 24.00 midnight). When he plays it seems three man are playing. Marvelous. It's not only his techniques but the melodies and the joy topgether with his family he shows makes it all one big evening of fun. He then only spoke three words, from which of them two were the same. His son Joseph, better known as Manero, has inherited his father's skills a great lot. So he was allowed to perform solo. When his son was playing, and I must say very good (why he never made a record I will never understand), his father pointed at him with much pride and spoke " Bambino, bambino mio" (child, my child). I'd like to tell you much much more about Manitas but I think this will be enough foor this moment. My excuses when I made mistakes in my english because I'm a dutchman. However, I liked to give you this information. When you want more, my E-mail-adress is: ber.gordijn@wxs.nl Bye,bye!"

One of the best guitar performances EVER!

H.J. Gordijn | 02/17/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I just have to tell anyone looking at buying this CD to BUY IT! it is the best performance by Manitas, by far, & has as much emotion as you'll ever hear transmitted thru an acoustic guitar...especially in his Tarantas, Grenadinas, Alegrias & Rumba...PHEW!!! to me, this performance is what Flamenco is all about even though Gitanos/gypsies in Andalucia ridicule the technigue of Manitas; no one can question the emotional intensity & sincerity [what flamencos call DUENDE} of Manitas on this live performance. As much as i love flamencos' great guitarists [Paco de Lucia, Sabicas, Serranito, Ramon Montoya, Nino Ricardo, Diego Del Gastor, Tomatito, etc...] master-full technique & compas- not one of them burn with the strength of emotion found on this CD. Check it out !!!!!!!!!!!!!"

The Hendrix of Flamenco guitar

Indian music lover | Portland, Oregon | 02/06/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"OK. Manitas de Plata "might" not have the techical finesse of Paco de Lucia or Sabicas and all the new players, BUT nobody EVER really rocked it like he did. The pity is that this Carnegie Hall concert CD, great as it is, is not the best representation of his playing. That all happened on the apparently lost recordings made on the Connoisseur Society label back in the 1960s. In 1971, while in Denver, I first heard the legendary Manitas de Plata eponymous LP record on Connoisseur. This is the album that is marked with "Grand Prix de Disque,1968." (Remember this one, flamenco fans?) Manitas is joined by his son Manero Baliardo and his cousin Jose Reyes, who contribute great vocal performances. However, the most moving pieces are the Tarantas and the Malaguenas by Manitas alone. At the time, I could not believe that just one person is playing the guitar. His use of tremelo was astounding. I quickly obtained all his other Connoisseur CDs, including "Juerga" (mentioned below) and "Recital" and eventually wore them out. Alas! They cannot be found on CD! I have combed the internet looking for CD versions. Once you have heard these recordings, you will see why I entitled this CD the Hendrix of Flamenco guitar because that is what he sounds like. Primitive. Raw. Pure emotion and incredible technique. Or as the great electric guitarist John Cippollina of Quicksilver Messenger Service once wrote, "The punk of flamenco." The Carnegie Hall CD will give you a taste. This is how it was back then down in the Camargue at Les Saintes Maries. Both Picasso and Dali were so impressed by him that they drew pictures on his guitar."