PRESS RELEASES
Paco de Lucia | “Pepito y Paquito”
Pepito y Paquito Features the Earliest Recordings of
Flamenco Masters Paco de Lucía and His Older Brother
Pepe de Lucía in 1959-60, When They Were 11 and 13 Years Old
The 21 AI-Restored Unreleased Recordings, Hidden in a Box for More Than Half a Century, Reveal the Genesis of a Universal Figure in Contemporary Flamenco and Highlight his Brother’s Significance as a Singer
Pepito y Paquito is Released Through BMG with
the Paco de Lucía Foundation
Available Now on Digital Platforms and 2-LP
CD Available on July 19 and Deluxe Bookpack 2-LP/CD on August 23
“Listening to Paco play on these recordings, he is himself a phenomenon, a prodigy at the age of 11 or 12. His articulation and sobriety are miraculous… Two prodigies born in the same house with such gigantic talent can only happen once every 100,000 years. Absolutely amazing!”
— John McLaughlin
“For all the possibilities uncovered on our instrument across the generations, it isn’t surprising to hear the master Paco at age 12 already on the hunt for the next level of what might be.” — Pat Metheny
“There’s a preternatural vibe, an otherworldly authenticity to these siblings that make Pepito y Paquito worth a deep dive.” — Jazzwise
“There’s a lot to love here.” — AP Newswire
“A treasure trove of previously unreleased recordings.” — Jazziz
“The songs have a homespun quality to them, almost like a sonic version of a home movie. Pepe’s voice is rich and passionate, oozing with folk flavor and a traditional bel canto feel. There’s an earthy allure to the material, as if you can feel the heat and tropical sweat.” — Jazz Weekly
“Pepito y Paquito captures a moment in time when the two children were still discovering their inherent talents. Paco de Lucía’s guitar playing sounds distinctive and self-assured, projecting the long shadow of the legacy he would develop.“ — Guitar World
Available in CD, 2-LP, and Deluxe Bookpack 2-LP + CD
Pepito y Paquito offers a glimpse into the humble and homespun beginnings of a genius who marked a turning point in flamenco guitar and reveals a series of rudimentary musical recordings of Paco de Lucía and his older brother Pepe, at ages 11 and 13 respectively. These recordings, hidden in a quince box for more than half a century, showcase the genesis of a universal figure in contemporary flamenco and highlight his brother’s significance as a singer. The extraordinary home recordings that, like a home movie, take listeners back to a time of the need in Franco’s Spain, and how the brothers, gifted with preternatural talent, allowed them to to escape poverty through art and ingenuity.
Thanks to BMG and the Paco de Lucía Foundation, these early sound recordings, collected by Antonio Sánchez Pecino, the boys’ father, and Reyes Benítez, their main supporter and custodian of the recordings, have reached us. Made between 1959 and 1960 on a Grundig tape recorder. The recording sessions took place in the coastal town of Algeciras, first in the Sánchez family home and then in the quiet house of Benítez’s mother. Their existence was known, but their whereabouts were not. Until Quique Benítez, Reyes’ son, discovered them in 2022.
Pepito y Paquito represents a work of musical archaeology with immense historical value. A total of 21 songs were recovered and restored using new technologies to create an album that composes the artistic prequel of both brothers, before their revolutionary breakthrough in the 1st International Flamenco Art Contest of Jerez de la Frontera in 1962 and their first records as Los Chiquitos de Algeciras.
The album is available today on LP and digital platforms while CDs and deluxe sets can be pre-ordered here.
INNATE VIRTUOSITY OF PACO
Pepito y Paquito is an auditory window through which we observe two children having fun, playing, and singing naturally and festively. Simultaneously, their inherent talent projects the long shadow of the legacy they would develop in their respective careers as two icons of contemporary flamenco, especially that of a universal master of the guitar.
“For all the possibilities discovered in our instrument over the generations, it is not surprising to hear master Paco at 12 years old already chasing the next level of what could be. In fact, according to these recordings, he was already there in many ways,” commented American jazz guitarist Pat Metheny. “Hearing and knowing Paco, and to have been on the planet with him at the same time, is one of the things I am most grateful to have experienced in life.”
The influence of celebrated flamenco guitar innovator Nino Ricardo, Paco’s first hero of the guitar, is evident in his playing from an early age; however, his virtuosity and genius are revealed in his ability to play like an adult despite being a child. Moreover, he mastered various styles of flamenco, as these 21 songs include Bulerías, Soleares, Cuplés, Rumbas, Fandangos, Tangos, Seguiriyas, Alegrías, and even Villancicos. All of them are performed astonishingly, allowing us to instantly recognize his art.
THE RECOGNITION OF PEPE
Pepe is a central figure in Pepito y Paquito. His singing is pure rawness, passion, and brilliance. We understand where the admiration and appreciation for his vocal power in the early years of his career came from. His privileged position in flamenco is evident, both accompanying Paco and in various solo projects.
“Thanks to my friendship with Paco, I met his brother Pepe and heard him sing, and here is another phenomenon. Pepe’s singing at 13 years old is incredible. How can two children play and sing so well, with such passion and maturity? Two prodigies born in the same house with such enormous talent can only happen once every 100,000 years,” explains the revered British guitarist John McLaughlin.
It is paradoxical that Pepito y Paquito becomes the first album that Pepe and Paco recorded together and, at the same time, the last of their extensive flamenco careers. For Pepe, it also represents a crowning achievement for someone who always dedicated love, affection, pride, and respect, witnessing firsthand the success of his younger brother. At the same time, it asserts his own stature within flamenco singing, with a personal voice full of feeling, conveying raw and honest emotions.
A decade has passed since the death of Paco de Lucía. Pepito y Paquito commemorates an anniversary that reminds us of the genius of an artist who marked a turning point in the world of flamenco guitar, an artist whose loss is still deeply felt. His dedication, talent, and innovation made him the most universal flamenco guitarist, daring to incorporate fusions that, without betraying tradition, have now become hallmarks of six-stringed music.
Nothing was impossible with Paco’s perfectionist determination and his enchanting presence on stage or in the studio. A legacy that has opened countless doors for future generations. In Pepito y Paquito, we revisit a musical childhood where we can feel what Paco would later become, honing a technique that already amazed from his early years and that we now rediscover as if he had never left. An enduring icon.
Tracklist
1. Me Falta La Resistencia (Tangos de la Pirula de Málaga)
2. Al Pilarico por Agua (Bulerías por Soleá)
3. Romance de Juan Osuna (Seguiriyas Tientos)
4. Aunque Pongan en tu Puerta (Alegrías)
5. Se Comerá Mi Dolor (Soleares)
6. La Corales (Cuplé por Bulerías)
7. Que Viene el Coco (Rumba)
8. Bulerías Niño Ricardo (Solo de Guitarra)
9. De Alfombra de Rosas (Liviana)
10. Con su Rebaño (Serranas)
11. Que el Viento se la Llevó (Polo)
12. Voy A Tener Que Dejarte (Fandangos Naturales)
13. Escucha lo que te digo (Bulerías)
14. Con una Rosa en el Pico (Fandango Santa Eulalia)
15. Las Estrellitas del Cielo (Villancico por Bulerías)
16. Zapateado Niño Ricardo (Solo de Guitarra)
17. Entre Compás y Desplantes (Soleares de Cádiz)
18. Amante de Abril y Mayo (Cuplé por Bulerías)
19. Lo que Pasó en Veracruz (Soleares de Triana/Apolas)
20. Caminito de Alcalá (Bulerías)
21. Soleá Niño Ricardo (Solo de Guitarra)
Paco de Lucía and Pepe de Lucía · Pepito y Paquito
BMG
Digital and 2-LP Release Date: May 31, 2024
CD Release Date: July 19, 2024
Deluxe Bookpack 2-LP/CD Release Date: August 23, 2024
For more information on Pepito y Paquito, please visit:
Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
For media inquiries, please contact:
DL Media · (917) 929-4910
Roberta Lawrence · roberta@dlmediamusic.com
Don Lucoff · don@dlmediamusic.com
For the Preferred Artist
###