Manitas de Plata
Encyclopedia
Manitas de Plata. (born Ricardo Baliardo, August 7, 1921) is a French Gitano flamenco
guitarist
.
in southern France
. He became famous by playing each year at the Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer
Gypsy pilgrimage in Camargue
, where he was recorded live by Deben Bhattacharya.
Manitas de Plata only agreed to play in public ten years after the death of Django Reinhardt
, unanimously considered the king of gypsy guitarists. One of his recordings earned him a letter by Jean Cocteau
acclaiming him as a creator.
Upon hearing him play at Arles
in 1964, Pablo Picasso
is said to have exclaimed "that man is of greater worth than I am!" and proceeded to draw on the guitar.
Manitas de Plata became really famous only after a photography exhibition in New York, organized by his friend Lucien Clergue. He had recorded his first official album in the chapel of Arles
in France for the Connoisseur Society
Label sold through the Book of the Month Club. This was a popular double LP that brought him to the attention of an American audience. An American manager obtained a booking for him to play a concert in Carnegie Hall
in New York in December 1965.
In New York, Manitas de Plata, who was illiterate, represented Europe at the yearly gala of the United Nations
.
Since 1967 Manitas de Plata has been touring the whole world and recording discs. He played with the dancer Nina Corti. In 1968 he played at the Royal Variety Performance
in London.
Note: Juerga! was recorded in Arles, France, in October 1963, and featured Jose Reyes and Manero Ballardo, and the gypsies of Les Saintes Maries de la Mer. Producer E. Alan Silver; recording Engineer David B. Jones. A Connoisseur Society
Recording.
Flamenco
Flamenco is a genre of music and dance which has its foundation in Andalusian music and dance and in whose evolution Andalusian Gypsies played an important part....
guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
.
Life
He was born in a Gypsy (Gitano) caravan in SèteSète
Sète is a commune in the Hérault department in Languedoc-Roussillon in southern France. Its inhabitants are called Sétois....
in southern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. He became famous by playing each year at the Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer
Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer
Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer is the capital of the Camargue in the south of France. It is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department by the Mediterranean Sea. Population: 2,478...
Gypsy pilgrimage in Camargue
Camargue
The Camargue is the region located south of Arles, France, between the Mediterranean Sea and the two arms of the Rhône River delta. The eastern arm is called the Grand Rhône; the western one is the Petit Rhône....
, where he was recorded live by Deben Bhattacharya.
Manitas de Plata only agreed to play in public ten years after the death of Django Reinhardt
Django Reinhardt
Django Reinhardt was a pioneering virtuoso jazz guitarist and composer who invented an entirely new style of jazz guitar technique that has since become a living musical tradition within French gypsy culture...
, unanimously considered the king of gypsy guitarists. One of his recordings earned him a letter by Jean Cocteau
Jean Cocteau
Jean Maurice Eugène Clément Cocteau was a French poet, novelist, dramatist, designer, playwright, artist and filmmaker. His circle of associates, friends and lovers included Kenneth Anger, Pablo Picasso, Jean Hugo, Jean Marais, Henri Bernstein, Marlene Dietrich, Coco Chanel, Erik Satie, María...
acclaiming him as a creator.
Upon hearing him play at Arles
Arles
Arles is a city and commune in the south of France, in the Bouches-du-Rhône department, of which it is a subprefecture, in the former province of Provence....
in 1964, Pablo Picasso
Pablo Picasso
Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso known as Pablo Ruiz Picasso was a Spanish expatriate painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, and stage designer, one of the greatest and most influential artists of the...
is said to have exclaimed "that man is of greater worth than I am!" and proceeded to draw on the guitar.
Manitas de Plata became really famous only after a photography exhibition in New York, organized by his friend Lucien Clergue. He had recorded his first official album in the chapel of Arles
Arles
Arles is a city and commune in the south of France, in the Bouches-du-Rhône department, of which it is a subprefecture, in the former province of Provence....
in France for the Connoisseur Society
Connoisseur Society
Connoisseur Society is an American audiophile classical music and jazz record label based in New York. It was founded by E. Alan Silver and James Goodfriend. Silver is also leading the company In Sync, which offers remasterings on CDs from tapes and LPs.Silver and Goodfriend helped artists from the...
Label sold through the Book of the Month Club. This was a popular double LP that brought him to the attention of an American audience. An American manager obtained a booking for him to play a concert in Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
in New York in December 1965.
In New York, Manitas de Plata, who was illiterate, represented Europe at the yearly gala of the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
.
Since 1967 Manitas de Plata has been touring the whole world and recording discs. He played with the dancer Nina Corti. In 1968 he played at the Royal Variety Performance
Royal Variety Performance
The Royal Variety Performance is a gala evening held annually in the United Kingdom, which is attended by senior members of the British Royal Family, usually the reigning monarch. In more recent years Queen Elizabeth II and The Prince of Wales have alternately attended the performance...
in London.
Selected albums
- Juerga! (1963)
- Flamenco Guitar (1965)
- Flamenco Guitar
- Manitas de Plata - The world's greatest living flamenco artist (1966, Phillips, BL 7787)
- Manitas de Plata et les siens (1967, Columbia Records, FL 363)
- The Art of the Guitar (1968, Everest Records, SDBR 3201)
- La guitare d'or de Manitas (1970, Columbia Records, S 63915)
- Et Ses Guitares Gitanes (1972, CBS, S65020)
- Excitement of Manitas De Plata (1973, RCA Camden, CDS 1139)
- Hommages (1973, Embassy Records, S EMB 31003)
- Feria Gitane (1994)
- Olé (1994)
- Manitas de Plata at Carnegie Hall (1995)
- Flaming Flamenco (1997)
- Manitas de Plata (1998)
- Camargue de Manitas (1999)
- Guitare D'Or Manitas de Plata (1999)
- Flores de mi corazon (1999, Troubadour Records)
- Guitarra Flamenco (2001)
- Manitas de Plata et los Plateros (2004)
Note: Juerga! was recorded in Arles, France, in October 1963, and featured Jose Reyes and Manero Ballardo, and the gypsies of Les Saintes Maries de la Mer. Producer E. Alan Silver; recording Engineer David B. Jones. A Connoisseur Society
Connoisseur Society
Connoisseur Society is an American audiophile classical music and jazz record label based in New York. It was founded by E. Alan Silver and James Goodfriend. Silver is also leading the company In Sync, which offers remasterings on CDs from tapes and LPs.Silver and Goodfriend helped artists from the...
Recording.