MANITAS DE PLATA

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MANITAS DE PLATA
http://www.manitasdeplata.fr/
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Manitas de Plata (Little Silverhands). (born Ricardo Baliardo, August 7, 1921) was in the 1960s one of the most renowned flamenco guitarists in the world, and continues to be highly esteemed by fans.

Life
He was born in a Manouche Gypsy Gitano caravan in Sète in southern France, into the extended family to which the members of the flamenco band, the Gipsy Kings, also belong[citation needed]. He became famous by playing each year at the Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer Gypsy pilgrimage in Camargue, where he was recorded live by Deben Bhattacharya.

Manitas de Plata only agreed to play in public ten years after the death of Django Reinhardt, unanimously considered the king of gypsy guitarists. One of his recordings earned him a letter by Jean Cocteau acclaiming him as a creator .

Upon hearing him play at Arles in 1964, Pablo Picasso is said to have exclaimed "that man is of greater worth than I am!" and proceeded to draw on the guitar .

But Manitas de Plata became really famous only after a photography exhibition in New York, organized by his friend Lucien Clergue. He had recorded his first official album in the chapel of Arles in France for the Connoisseur Society Label sold through the Book of the Month Club. This was a popular double LP that brought him to the attention of an American audience. An American manager obtained a booking for him to play a concert in Carnegie Hall in New York in December 1965 .

In New York, Manitas de Plata, who was illiterate, represented Europe at the yearly gala of the United Nations.

Since 1967 Manitas de Plata has been touring the whole world and recording discs. He played with Paco de Lucia or with the dancer Nina Corti . In 1968 he played at the Royal Variety Performance in London.

Albums
(note: this list is likely to be incomplete)

Juerga! (1963, Phillips SBL 7843 844 212)
Flamenco Guitar (1965, Classics Record Library, SRL 8643)
Flamenco Guitar (Phillips, BL 7786)
Manitas de Plata - the world's greatest living flamenco artist (1966, Phillips, BL 7787)
Manitas de Plata et les siens (1967, Columbia Records, FL 363)
The Art of the Guitar (1968, Everest Records, SDBR 3201)
La guitare d'or de Manitas(1970, Columbia Records, S 63915)
Excitement of Manitas De Plata (1973, RCA Camden, CDS 1139)
Hommages (1973, Embassy Records, S EMB 31003)
Feria Gitane (1994)
Olé (1994)
Manitas de Plata at Carnegie Hall (1995)
Flaming Flamenco (1997)
Manitas de Plata (1998)
Camargue de Manitas (1999)
Guitare D'Or Manitas de Plata (1999)
Flores de mi corazon (1999, Troubadour Records)
Guitarra Flamenco (2001)
Manitas de Plata et los Plateros (2004)
Note: "Juerga!" was recorded in Arles, France, October 1963 and featured Jose Reyes and Manero Ballardo and the gypsies of Les Saintes Maries de la Mer. Producer E. Alan Silver, Recording Engineer David B. Jones. A Connoisseur Society Recording.