Spanish & Flamenco

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Flamenco music is traced back to the Andalusian Gypsies of southern Spain. Early flamenco music was purely vocal, accompanied only by hand-clapping. Later flamenco dance, accompanied by guitar music, became more prevalent. Carlos Montoya, born in 1903, was a leader in the transformation of flamenco music from a dance accompaniment to a serious genre for the guitar.
Flamenco is played somewhat differently from classical guitar. Players use different posture, strumming patterns, and techniques. Flamenco guitarists are known as tocaores (from an Andalusian pronunciation of tocadores, "players") and flamenco guitar technique is known as toque. Some of today's most famous and most accomplished flamenco guitarists worth mentioning are Paco De Lucia, Vincente Amigo, Paco Cepero, Carlos Montoya, Gerardo Núñez, Paco Peña, Sabicas or Tomatito.