This DVD film introduces you to the star everyone reckons they are familiar with from concerts or recordings. But Paco's readiness to allow a highly personal film portrait of himself means that we can gain a background glimpse into the personality of thi

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By the way, there is new double DVD featuring Paco's biography and some complete concerts, including Aranjuez. It is called "Francisco Sanchez - Paco de Lucia". The bad thing is that it has only been released for PAL. Come on guys! Bring Paco de Lucias's duende to the rest of the world!!!

3 of 4 found the following review helpful:

Flamenco meets Short Attention Span TheaterMay 01, 2009
By Paul Magnussen
Paco de Lucía is without doubt one of the greatest and most influential geniuses the flamenco guitar has ever seen, and so a biographical documentary cannot fail to be (potentially at least) of the greatest interest.

Unfortunately, this one features some of the most dreadful direction I've ever seen.

Lucía's career may be divided simply into several distinct phases:

• Child prodigy
• Flamenco guitar soloist
• Accompanist to Camarón
• Pop star
• Jazz/fusion guitarist
• Classical guitarist

All of these are presented, but jumbled into a giant dog's breakfast without any apparent system. Even the musical performances are hacked into pieces, shuffled and aleatorically reassembled.

This is a pity, because the DVD contains a great deal of fascinating material, such as a video of Antonio Mairena with Ricardo on guitar, a bulería by Camarón with Paco, and an early juerga at Camarón's home.

Although this is a British production, the sound-track is available in Spanish, English or German; and here we come to another problem. Because when Spaniards are interviewed, we get not subtitles but voice-overs. There are French and Japanese subtitles as well; but even if you choose French subtitles, you still, insanely, get the English voice-overs. I didn't try the Japanese subtitles.

Now, voice-overs are fine when (for example) the BBC is giving you the main points of a speech by the French Prime Minister -- that is, for about 30 seconds. But in large doses they're very wearing indeed; and this is particularly unfortunate because this DVD has one of the most interesting interviews with Lucía I've seen (actually, it's more of a fragmented monologue).

Nor can you even skip the interviews and then watch them in the original Spanish, because they've been dismembered and splattered all over the program.

The other main interviewee is Paco's sister María, who perpetuates the story that "Entre dos aguas" was thrown into Fuente y caudal as an afterthought (this despite the fact that it's the first track on the album, it's the only track to feature bass and bongos, and Philips had already been busting its guts trying to sell him to a wider public -- successfully this time, of course). Nobody bothers to talk to Ramón or Pepe.

So four stars for the material, one for the production.

The Spanish biography Francisco Sánchez is longer (two DVDs), more interesting, more coherent, features complete performances, and gives you English subtitles (although no German). If you're not a German, then, I would advise you to get that instead -- or at least first.

For the future, my (possibly unwanted) advice to the director of "Light and Shade" would be the same as that of the King of Hearts to the White Rabbit: Begin at the beginning, and go on till you come to the end; then stop.

4 of 6 found the following review helpful:

Excellent intro to Paco de LuciaMar 30, 2004
By R. Webb "rbw2001"
This is a very well produced dvd of Paco.From his early influences to international promenance. Paco has introduced new harmonies and diatonics to the Flamenco vocabulary, however keeping it within he Flamenco compass and thereby expanding it. Included in this dvd are nearly the entire " La Barossa", Interviews with Paco, his father and sister,Paco and Cameron, the trio of Paco, Al Dimeola and John Mclaughlin and the the sextet. This is a wonderful introduction to Paco de Lucia and his music. Also recommended (although as of this writing not yet available on Amazon) is Francisco Sanhchez- Paco de Lucia.

4 of 6 found the following review helpful:

Great overview of one of the best.Mar 25, 2002
By Cristobal E. Calderon Loos
I have this video, I have to admit that it gives an excelent view of this great guitarrist, but if you want to get in deep, get a concert or something on DVD. My choice is: El Concierto de Aranjuez with Orchestra.
I am a great fan of Paco. I've seen him live and I own most of his material as a soloist and as a member of the Original Guitar Trio with John McLaughlin (From England, not USA) and Larry Corryel, and from the Guitar Trio from John McLaughlin and Al DiMeola (From USA, not Brazil).

This guys technique has helped shape the way flamenco guitar is played this days. Tomatito and Vicente Amigo are some of the bunch that have followed Paco's path.

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