Carlos Montoya

about

Carlos Montoya (13 December 1903 – 3 March 1993), a prominent Flamenco guitarist, was a founder of the modern-day popular Flamenco style of music. Carlos Montoya was born in Madrid, Spain, unto a gypsy family, on December 13, 1903. As the nephew of renowned flamenco guitarist Ramón Montoya he seemed to have been born to play Flamenco, but it was his uncle who would be his biggest obstacle, as he refused to teach Carlos the tricks of the trade. He began studying the guitar with his mother and a neighboring barber, Pepe el Barbero, a.k.a. Pepe the Barber. By the time he was 14 years old he was accompanying dancers and singers in the cafes of Madrid, Spain. In the 1920s and 1930s he performed extensively in Europe, North America, and Asia with the likes of La Teresina. The outbreak of World War II brought him to the United States where he began his most successful days as a musician, and frequently toured with the dancer La Argentina. Settling in New York City during World War II (circa 1941), he began touring on his own, bringing his fiery style to concert halls, universities, and orchestras. Montoya toured year round but always returned to his homeland, Spain, to spend the Christmas holidays with his family. Montoya's playing style was idiosyncratic. He once said, according to Brook Zern: "I do not play the way I do to please the public, though it certainly does, on five continents so far, and no other flamenco guitarist will ever fill the Houston Astrodome as I have. No,

top songs

albums

The Art Of The Flamenco Featuring Carlos Montoya

Flamenco!

Flamenco ~ The Gold Collection (2)

Flamenco ~ The Gold Collection (1)

Flamenco Guitar

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Aires Flamenco

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Grandes de la Guitarra Española, Vol. 2

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Summer Barbecue Music

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The Art of the Flamenco

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Latin BBQ

The Art Of Flamenco

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Spanish Classical Guitar, Vol. 1

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