Manitas de Plata in Spanish means "Little hands of silver"
Real name is RICARDO BALIARDO
Known to many as "El rey de la guitarra de flamenco y musica gitana"
or.....the King of the Flamenco guitar and gypsy music, but I prefer to think of him as one of the gypsy Kings, a true master of gypsy music, and..."Maestro de la guitarra de Flamenco" a true Master of the Spanish Flamenco guitar, but not thee absolute king or master, as there have been and still are equally great masters of the Spanish Flamenco guitar music, such as one of my all time Idols, the mighty "Sabicas" as just one example of true mastery of the Spanish guitar, a different style of playing perhaps, but still astonishing to see and hear, Ricardo had his fantastic gift of true gypsy mastery & magic, and masters of the caliber of Sabicas had theirs, like the differences between the great artists of Spain, all equally great, with breathtaking paintings, but all different in some way, all unique, all special, and little silver hands was very special in his own unique way, and, as for his lack of literacy, it didn't matter, because his language was the language of music, and his communications skills are legendary, not using a pen, but the guitar, he writes and sends messages with the strings of his guitar, just like Picasso wrote his messages with the paint brushes that he used, to create a picture, an image, a scenario, to tell a story, so did Ricardo with the Gypsy music, to tell the story of his people, to pass on the history and the tradition of singing, dancing and playing it, as it has been done for generations, so his literacy was on another plane of existence, so in reality he was extremely literate, in his own way.
This is something that I feel is a near perfect description of what the music & playing by these masters means and does, only there is more to it than just this even, but even so, here are some words of wisdom with which to salute the great maestro, "Little silver hands" and I feel sure that most gypsies would certainly agree with the last part of the quote;
"As in music, so in life" as that is what their music is all about, it conveys the story of life itself, just as with a great master piece by a great painter, like Picasso for example, Picasso recognized and acknowledged Ricardo as another great artist, painting & conveying life with his music, and saluted him by engraving a drawing on his guitar,
and said; !That man is of greater worth than I am!
and that was Pablo Picasso. what a tribute!
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We believe there is a place that lives within us all,
it is a place of vision and clarity,
where the rhythm of life moves in harmony with a higher consciousness.
The purpose of this music is to take you there.
"As in music, so in life"
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One evening at a corrida in Arles in March 1964, Picasso heard this Gypsy (born in the south of France) playing his guitar during that memorable fiesta, and exclaimed !That man is of greater worth than I am!
Pablo Picasso 1964 !Vale mas que yo!
He engraved a drawing in the guitar, an act that baptized a new star : Manitas de Plata = Little hands of silver
Read more here.......
http://www.esbb.net/nuages-productions/site/menu-exe.php?found=mpenEn Castellano aqui.......
http://www.esbb.net/nuages-productions/site/menu-exe.php?found=mpsphttp://www.esbb.net/nuages-productions/site/menu-exe.php?found=http://www.esbb.net/nuages-productions/En Castellano
Fue en marzo de 1964, durante una fiesta memorable, una noche de corrida en Arles, que Picasso dió un grito, después de escuchar tocar a este gitano nacido en el Sur de Francia : "¡Vale más que yo!". Gravó en su guitarra un dibujo que era el acta de bautizo de una nueva vedette : Manitas de Plata .
Leer mas/Read more......
http://foros.guitarramania.com/viewtopic.php?p=1353920&...729cc5b267fd2846cac2He was born on August 7, 1921, in a Manouche Gipsy Gitano caravan in Sète in southern France, into the extended family to which the members of the flamenco band, the Gipsy Kings. He became famous by playing each year at the Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer Gipsy pilgrimage in Camargue, where he was recorded live by Deben Bhattacharya.
Read more here......
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manitas_de_PlataAngelino
(aficionado del Flamenco)
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