Paco Peña is an artist who has been dedicated to performing flamenco guitar concerts for more than fifteen years. Although he was born and brought up in Spain, his activities span the world.
In 1980 he thought of offering his life experience in the arts and putting it into practice in Cordoba, Andalucia, his home town and a natural habitat for flamenco. So began the idea of creating the ‘Centro Flamenco Paco Peña’, whose aim is to provide a full range of activities related fundamentally to the Art of Flamenco, alongside other musical disciplines.
The goal was to provide a centre of great importance – a place that could one day become the inevitable destination for any aficionado or student of flamenco culture in order to reinforce their knowledge or moreover to collaborate using their own creations. In short, a centre to spread and preserve the culture of this hugely important art form in all its incarnations, with special emphasis on the guitar, both in its value as a flamenco instrument and its value as a Spanish classical instrument in general.
The First Flamenco Encuentro took place between 20 July and 16 August 1981, with the aim being to establish the existence of the Centro while providing activities to promote, strengthen, teach and spread flamenco culture. This aim was decidedly achieved. 68 students from 15 countries attended four intensive courses designed to help each guitarist improve their knowledge of flamenco and their technique. Classes on accompaniment for dance, with the collaboration of Inmaculada Aguilar professor of dance in the Escuela Superior de Arte Dramático y Danza de Córdoba and accompaniment to singing, with the help of the guitarist and singer Jaime Luque, were also given.
Now firmly established internationally as a recognised Centro, a second and third Flamenco Encuentro followed as well as a First International Classical Guitar Course and an International Music Festival in Cordoba.
