This is a dedication to the great flamenco guitarist Carlos Montoya, an inspiration to many aficionados. Carlos has become a hallmark of vision and original technique for his instruments growth and advancement for future generations. His legacy is one of great early recordings and mediocre later ones. His so called "Manuskript" published as: "Flamenco Guitar Solos", AMPCO Music, INC. N.Y. 1957, is vanished from the Earth apparently. It would be the only known published work of his if it were ever found; please reserve a copy for me!
Carlos Montoya was born on December 13, 1903, "the day of exacting craft" according to fine astrologers, in the city of Madrid, Spain. He died at 89 years of age on March 3, 1993 in Wainscott, New York. He has since become known as the inventor of solo flamenco guitar as an art form, separate from flamenco dance.
Montoya raised the art of flamenco from small clubs, known as the "cafe cantantes" of his native Spain, by bringing it out before the ears of the world; many resent him today for this very reason. He was the first person to release the guitar from its confines as merely an accompanying instrument to dancers and singers. He basically invented the concept of the solo flamenco guitar as intermission entertainment while the dancers rested. By ignoring the compas beats, which are the timed beats of formal flamenco dance, he improvised free form based on the audiences reaction. It is a fact that he rarely if ever played the same song the same way twice. It is ironic that Montoya is often criticized by self-appointed purists from his homeland for his traditional approach to the music today. He is not a "Flamenco Puro", like his Uncle Ramon Montoya was, who is still held in the highest regard to this day. Carlos, progressive as he was, became personal friends with Django Reinhardt as they played together in France, Paco De Lucia is a modern product of the Carlos Montoya school of thinking; Sabicas, Escadero, and Manitas De Platas would be considered contemporaries as well.
In many ways, flamenco music contains the soul of Spain within it, all of the joys and sorrows, legends, and histories have been woven into its complex structure. Spanish Jews, Muslims, and other "undesirables" who fled into the Andalusia mountains to escape persecution after the Moors were defeated by the Christians in Spain added their touch to the sound. The music definitely reflects the Moorish influence that ruled Iberia for 700 years. This was Carlos Montoya's inheritance before he began to play the guitar. Ramon Montoya the great flamenco guitarist and uncle of Carlos, refused to teach the young boy the art of flamenco. At the age of eight. his mother sent him to the town Barber who also taught flamenco. By the age of 14, Carlos was playing on local concert stages, he would later go on to fill Carnegie Hall and the Houston Astrodome one day.
World War II found him in New York, touring with the great flamenco dancer La Argentina, it was during this time in the 1940's that the majority of his greatest recordings were made. Most notable of his playing techniques was his ability to hold the haunting octave sounds in the low D and G tunings, incorporate parallel fifths nicely, as well as taking the "golpe", or "tapping on the sound board" to a whole new level; basically making it a separate voice.
There has never been a guitarist since to possess his sound. Those who criticize his playing may be missing the greater point of his work. It is not hard to see that the Western World and Europe were affected heavily by his genius. What Segovia did for solo classical guitar, Carlos Montoya did for solo flamenco guitar. He has become a legend and lives on.
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