We have written several times about Spanish banjo player Lluís Gómez and his newfound passion for mixing bluegrass banjo technique with flamenco music, the traditional folk and dance style of his native southern Spain. Many of the elements typical of bluegrass, like speedy playing and pentatonic melodies are common to both, and Gomez and his musical mates present the music with respect for both customs.
The tune he has chosen is a new flamenco number Lluís had written dedicated to his father, giving for its title the nickname his dad had as a child, La Flor (The Flower).
“I wrote this tune in August last year, dedicated to my father. He’s still alive, but the past year been really difficult in terms of health. He’s 88, has Alzheimers, and the lockdown didn’t help.”
Assisting in today’s video are Carol Duran on violin, Maribel Rivero on bass, and Javier Vaquero on guitar.
See what you think of flamenco banjo.
La Flor will be included on the next Lluís Gómez album, to be released early in 2022. Keep up with his music online.
