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Press, 7 April 1978, Page 4

Western audiences are both responsive and inhibited when they hear flamenco music, says Paco Pena, one of the world’s leading flamenco exponents. The Spanish guitarist said yesterday that the deeply emotional music, singing and dancing of flamenco communicated itself to the heart of Western audiences, but that they were often uncomfortable with its raw expressiveness. “Flamenco is a very direct confrontation with reality; the Westerner is not used to that, and shies away.” Paco Pena is in New Zealand with his troup of six singers and dancers from Andalusia, southern Spain. He is shown accompanying one of the troupe’s dancers, Margarita de Cordoba. He formed the groun in 1970 from the best flamenco talent he could find. He was in love with

really appreciated the guitar, and without a word of English left for Britain at the-age of 24. There he found the services of a manager, and starting in a small way, continued until he was getting reviews, and drawing concert audiences. He worked hard to give his music a classical dimension but to retain the authenticity of his native Flamenco tradition. In 1970, when his fortunes had put him in the place where he could choose his own troupe, and their personalities, he formed the group now with him in New Zealand. He knew them all personally; they were ail from Andalusia, and artists in their own right. Two of the troupe are married, two are father and son. A true flamenco artist could never be a solo artist, and so Paco Pena involved a group. The happier they were together, the better the music would be.