Manitas De Plata

Ricardo Baliardo 7 August 1921 5 November 2014 better known as Manitas de Plata was a flamenco guitarist of Spanish Gitano descent born in southern France Despite achieving worldwide fame he was criticized for not following certain rhythmic rules compás that are traditional in flamenco Baliardo was born in a gypsy caravan in Sète southern France He became famous by playing each year at the SaintesMariesdelaMer gypsy pilgrimage in the Camargue where he was recorded live by Deben Bhattacharya Manitas de Plata Little Hands of Silver in Spanish only agreed to play in public ten years after the death of Django Reinhardt One of his recordings earned him a letter from 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 De Plata garnered fame in the United States 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 in 1963 for the Phillips label It was later rereleased in 1967 by the Connoisseur Society label and sold through the Book of the Month Club This was a popular 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 on November 24 1965 He toured the world from 1967 and recorded discs He played with the dancer Nina Corti In 1968 he played at the Royal Variety Performance in London He toured Australia in September 1972 supported by Los Baliardos Hippolyte Baliardo Manero Baliardo José Reyes Ricardo Bissaro His Sevillana was included in Scorseses After Hours 1985 soundtrack De Plata was the uncle of Jacques Maurice and Tonino Baliardo and cousin to Paul François Canut Patchaï Nicolas and André Reyes the sons of his cousin flamenco artist José Reyes 19281979 all members of the Catalan Rumba band Gipsy Kings Australian multiinstrumentalist Chris Freeman his student in 1971 acknowledged de Platas influence and teachings Statue of Manitas de Plata in front of the Montpellier City Hall De Plata died in a retirement home in Montpellier on 6 November 2014 The cause of death was not disclosed although it was reported that de Plata had been in poor health since suffering a severe heart attack in April 2013 Many members of his own family were also well known flamenco musicians including his younger brother Hippolyte Baliardo 19282009 and his eldest son Manero Baliardo 19402012 Another son Bambo Baliardo is still an active musician and performer as of 2015 Source Article Manitas de Plata from Wikipedia in English licensed under CCBYSA 30