The Award - Wining Experience with Paco Pena

On October 10th 2009, the Rialto Center for the Performing Arts at Georgia State University showed an extravagant concert with guitarist Paco Pena. The amazing guitarist, Paco Pena, performed twelve award-winning singles. The piece "Alborea" was a great introduction that filled the atmosphere with excitement of what was about to take place. The amazing form of music known as a Spanish art form, called Flamenco Dance Style was used by Paco Pena. Unlike any other dance style, Flamenco dance, also known as baile, is a highly-expressive, Spanish dance. With roots in Spanish cultures, flamenco dance known for its sweeping arm movements and rhythmic feet stomping. When the audience thought the performance was at its best, the Spanish word ¡Olé! was used to accent a very good performance. ¡Olé! is an expression that occurs when you are moved by what you have just seen or heard.

Guitarist Paco Pena is known for his great skills with a Spanish guitar. He was born in Córdoba, Spain. He learned how to the play the guitar at age six and at age twelve he began performing. In the 1960s, Paco Pena performed Flamenco music throughout the world. He was a success, performing all over the globe. In the 1970s, Paco Pena decided to form his own band of singers, dancers, and guitarist. Creating a band could not have been a better choice. Since the 1970s, the Paco Pena Flamenco Dance Company has taken off and engaged many different audiences with a Spanish culture that can never be forgotten.

At this performance, the atmosphere was amazing. The setting embraces one with soft music, which sent calm and relaxing, sound to your soul. The audience dressed very nice for this occasion; the age ranged from thirty-five years or older.

The main instruments used throughout the performances were Spanish guitars. The dancers also used an instrument called castanets. Castanets are hand held instruments and are used to produce clicks for rhythmic accents. It sounds like a rattling sound that is constant for a while, and then it is quickly stopped. Hand clapping was used as an instrument, too. Singing was also a main element to some of the outstanding performances. The voices of the singers were very deep and intense.

"Guitarra en Ensemble" was a major performance on the program that night. The dancers and guitarists in this particular performance were Paco Pena, Charo Espino, Paco Arriaga, Rafael