Paco Peña - ‘A COMPÁS!’

On my way home to Hobart from Hawaii, I stopped in Sydney for a few nights. The main reason I wanted to stop in Sydney was to catch a show. Before leaving home, I looked up what shows would be on during my stay. Some time ago, I read a review written by my favourite TravBuddy ‘Sweetski’ on Flamenco Guitarist Paco Peña, and his latest show ‘A COMPÁS!’ Paco and his show would be in Sydney the week I arrived back from Hawaii, so I decided I would see the show. I also wanted to catch up with another TravBuddy Traveller_Gin while in Sydney, so I suggested we see the show together.

We were both totally blown away by the dancing and the guitar, at one point Paco was on the stage by himself and it sounded as if there were five guitars playing, but it was just him. As someone who has a guitar and can strum a tune or two, I was in awe. Don’t even get me started on the dancers! Ok, just a little started then. Wow! The speed of their tapping feet, I love dancing and love a great dance performance, and these dancers were amazing. Our seats were about four rows back from the stage just above foot level and we had a magnificent view of their skilled footwork.

While watching the show I felt myself transported to a Spanish celebration in a private home where people who owned a guitar took them out of their cases, a couple of others sang and those who could dance, put on their dancing shoes and entertained the gathering. I didn’t feel like I was sitting in a theatre watching a show. Don’t get me wrong, the show was 100% professional, but did have a very intimate feel about it. I almost felt as if I were a part of the show.

As well as Paco, there were two other guitarists, two singers, three dancers – two males and a female, who also played the castanets in one fantastic duet with Paco, and a percussionist, whose instrument was the box he sat on throughout most of the show.

Leading up to the finale, the dancers and guitarists performed together in perfect unison, the dancer flawlessly mimicking the sounds of the guitar music with his feet. The final piece was a dramatic change from the guitars with the musicians performing a wonderfully rhythmic number with steel hammers on iron anvils. Spectacular!

The whole show was wonderful and I am so glad I saw it.