Ho Tong Hanh is a flamenco guitarist and teacher living in Paris. He is also the correspondent of the specialist American flamenco newsletter jaleo. It's well known that Paco de Lucia does not like to give interviews, therefore we are lucky indeed that Paco is a friend of Ho Tong (a long standing reader of GI) and agreed to talk about his art especially for Guitar International, for as Ho Tong told us, we have always published interesting features about flamenco.

I made Paco's acquaintance about eight or nine years ago, and since then we have become good friends and whenever I go to Andalucia, which is about twice a year, I stop off at Madrid to visit Paco (if I know he'll not be touring) to chat and pick up any falsetas I haven't managed to take down exactly from any new records.

"Hola Paco," I say to him as he opens the door. "Que tal?". "Muy bien, muy bien amigo, and you?" greeted Paco as he lapsed into English. "I've just returned from Mexico and tomorrow I'm off again to Algeciras with my family." Paco explained that he's going off to relax for a bit to finish the toques for his new record, prior to beginning his European tour in October which will take him to London for a single concert at the Dominion Theatre on the 10th of November.

Just then I heard a noise and looking around suddenly met three cute faces, these belonged to Paco's two daughters and a son. I asked Paco if he still sings at home "Yes, but only at home, especially when I write the cantes . . . or when I'm with friends and drunk."

I mention that Paco always refuses to play at private fiestas. "That's right, because I prefer to listen to the other guitarists." "But the last time you even sang flamenco--that is rare!" "Well, that's right. That was because I felt good and at ease with my friends . . . and I got drunk too."

I asked Paco about his new record. "There are eight or nine toques on it; and I play solo, with the group and I double on 2nd guitar. I haven't decided exactly what I'll play; I need time to arrange this because I'm always busy with the tours. I work at night. I play all night long and record all that comes out of my imagination. Then I check up on the best things I've done."

In the recent Seville festival Paco played accompanied only by his brother Ramon, and the reviews weren't too good, although I thought Paco was at his best.

"I think that was because they wanted me to come to play on the radio or something, and I refused. You know, the flamencologists always criticize me because I play with the group or with John McLaughlin and Al di Meola. I play with the group because I think it's a new expressive form of flamenco guitar. Before, the flamenco guitarist played only for singers, dancers and accompanied by palmas. Today you play alone on the stage in front of a thousand or more people; you need to create more for this ambiante. I play what I feel, what I think is good music. Who can say it's bad? I played with McLaughlin and Di Meola for a new experience. I want to learn what I don't know. In Spain the public likes popular images, the artist needs to be popular. Look here, you just read the Spanish magazines and you'll understand what I mean. I play a lot abroad but very little in Spain."

"Paco" I said, "Look at these reviews from newspapers and things. You are one of the most famous guitarists outside of Spain, yet foreigners criticize you a lot because you don't play any more in the idiom of Sabicas, Ramon Montoya, Nino Ricardo . "

Paco reads the reviews and said directly: "Well, who are these reviewers? If they were really aficionados then they would understand the evolution in my music, for a start. There are some very good flamenco connoisseurs who know very well what they are talking about, but there are also many pseudo flamencologists, who generally play a bit of flamenco and indulge in a lot of flamenco talk to show off their knowledge.

"I always respect the music of the maestros like Montoya, Sabicas, Nino Ricardo, and so forth; and when I was young I used to play their toques. Now I have my own style, my own music . . . because I am me, Paco de Lucia.

"I want to go ahead. I want to learn things I don't know about. No matter what music I play I always have my stable flamenco roots, because I was born and grew up with flamenco. Some people think that flamenco is dying. That's nonsense, flamenco is very much alive, but in other forms, because times are changing. Before, flamenco was a close society, now it's open to a wide public, everywhere. Of course, if you want to understand flamenco you have to return to the origin.

"In the toque Monasterio de Sal (colombianas) you played the scale with three fingers like Serranito does."

"Right."

"Do you see Serrantio often?"

"Not often but sometimes, I call him and we go and play tennis; but it's always me who calls he feels a little distant with me."

"How is your relationship with Manolo Sanlucar?"

"Very good! We are close friends, and he is the Godfather of my son. We play together very often and we are going to record together. At first it was difficult for us to play together - probably because we have different styles - but now it's OK."

"Manolo has made many records, he's going to record a concerto for guitar and orchestra. What do you think of that?"

"Well, it's his choice, but I must say it's a very difficult way."

Paco was on the Jury at the Seville festival, along with his colleagues Manolo Sanlucar, Juan Habichuela, Serranito, Mario Escudero, Manuel Cano, whose task it was to judge today's young talent. I asked Paco for his opinion of these young players of today.

"They are very good. Very advanced technically and musically; but they need to live more with flamenco, because today young people listen to all kinds of music, not only flamenco as before. I like especially Paco Cepero for the cantes. He plays simply, short, but muy flamenco. Tomatito too, he has mucho aires. "

"And the young phenomenos?"

"Yes, I know some are very good. The young Juan Caiiizarez from Barcelona, Gerardo Nurez de Jerez, Rafael Riqueni and Manolo Franco from Sevilla. I know them all; and Juan Canizarez did really amaze me. Four years ago my brother, Ramon de Algeciras, told me of his phenomenal picado. I went to see him in Barcelona. He had already an outstanding technique. He plays everything very well - flamenco, classical, bossa, jazz; he seems very fond of jazz.

I've never seen Paco practise so I asked him directly about this.

"I did all that eight-hour-a-day business when I was a kid. Now I just play and compose. I don't have time to practise.

"I think you once told me you met John Williams?''

"Yes, I met him in London. We had a long discussion about improvisation. He didn't believe in improvising on stage."

I also asked Paco about the great singer Camaron, who is very sick now and has had to cancel many concerts. All his aficionados know about his drug problem and they wonder why Paco can't do something to help him.

"He must help himself by first making a decision to get out of his trouble. He and Tomatito shared the first part of my concert in Madrid, but he didn't appear so I had to play the entire concert alone. He'll kill himself if he doesn't kick the drugs ."

I asked Paco then about the rumor that he didn't like teaching: I wondered if when he gets tired of travelling he may do some masterclasses?

"Probably, but I really do prefer to make records."

It's often been said that Paco's very serious stage manner has often been taken for his lack of humor - that he's not very simpatico - but when he smiles you realize that this is simply not true.

"Well, I certainly don't feel at ease when a lot of people come to me and ask many questions all at the same time, it makes me nervous - especially after concerts. On stage I need great concentration, and maybe that's the reason for my severe expression as you call it. Generally, as you know, I like to laugh and joke."

Finally, I wanted to ask Paco about his falsetas: Paco has composed many different alegrias, soleares and bulerias, but why for many years now does he always play the same falsera for bulerias in F minor?, adding I don't think that he can compose yet another in that key.

"Yes" Paco replies with a laugh. "This is maybe because of laziness. I will think about it though."

I told Paco that I tried to play bulerias in B flat as he did but I had problems with finger positions!

Paco, laughing, "Try again!"

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