Sabicas (Agustín Castellón Campos) was a Flamenco guitarist, of Romani origin, who was born on 16 March 1912 [1] in Pamplona, Spain and died in 14 April 1990 in New York. Renowned fingerstylist Chet Atkins once said, “The finest technique around has got to be Sabicas.”
Sabicas was widely reputed to be the greatest Flamenco guitarist ever, and that opinion has not changed much over the years. In his day, Sabicas was truly unrivaled in his extraordinary command of the guitar, flawless technique, blistering speed and compositional skills, and the standard he set influenced generations to follow, including Paco de Lucía, Tomatito, Serranito, Juan Manuel Cañizares, El Viejín, Vicente Amigo, Gerardo Nuñez and many others.
An old recording by Sabicas was my introduction to Flamenco way back in the day, and I dreamed of achieving this level of play… but alas, such a feat is not for mere mortals. I can claim him as an inspiration, but my Flamenco will never approach such perfection. Paco de Lucia and but a few other devoted guitaristas can make that claim.
In this rare concert video, Sabicas demonstrates his awesome skill on the flamenco guitar.
Flamenco Guitar – Sabicas – Fantasia (Best of Guitar-Tube.com) – YouTube.
