Few opinions have as much weight in the world of guitar as that of Mark Knopfler. Founder of Dire Straitsowner of an unmistakable style and responsible for classics like Sultans of Swing and Brothers in Arms, the Scottish musician has been considered for decades one of the best guitarists in rock history.
However, there was a moment when he himself felt that everything he knew about the instrument was taking a backseat. It happened after attend a Paco de Lucía concertthe revolutionary flamenco guitarist who brought that genre to the most important stages on the planet.
Knopfler’s reaction was as spontaneous as it was forceful. «When I saw it I understood that I don’t know how to play the guitar.«, he confessed after witnessing a performance by the Spanish musician. The phrase, reproduced for years in different tributes, ended up becoming one of the most eloquent definitions of Paco de Lucía’s talent.
With those words, the Dire Straits leader did not seek to exaggerate or detract. Quite the contrary, he expressed the sensation that came from contemplating the technical mastery, musicality and expressiveness of an artist who forever changed the history of flamenco guitar.
The statement gained even more force after the death of Paco de Lucía, on February 25, 2014, at the age of 66, victim of a heart attack while playing soccer with one of his sons in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Since then, Knopfler’s testimony is one of the most cited to explain the artistic dimension of the Andalusian musician.
Mark Knopfler, the guitarist who revolutionized rock without using a plectrum
Born in Glasgow in 1949, Mark Knopfler founded Dire Straits in 1977 and achieved international success almost immediately with Sultans of Swing, a song that today makes up any list of great rock classics.
His way of playing marked an era. Unlike most rock guitarists, he developed a style based on fingerstyle, using fingers instead of a pick. That technique, added to a combination of blues, folk, country and rock, gave rise to a sound that was impossible to confuse.
In 1985, Dire Straits reached the top with Brothers in Arms, one of the best-selling albums of all time and one of the first albums to exceed one million copies sold in CD format.
After the group dissolved in 1995, Knopfler developed a successful solo career and in 2018 he entered Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with the rest of the members of Dire Straits.
Paco de Lucía, the musician who amazed even the greats of rock
If Knopfler’s words continue to resonate more than a decade later, it is because they describe the impact that Paco de Lucia provoked even among the most prestigious guitarists in the world.
Born in Algeciras in 1947, the artist transformed modern flamenco thanks to an extraordinary technique and a permanent musical search.. His historic collaboration with Camarón de la Isla changed the genre forever and, in 1973, Fuente y Caudal projected it internationally thanks to the success of Entre dos aguas.
Years later he broke boundaries again with Friday Night in San Francisco, the famous live album recorded with John McLaughlin and Al Di Meolaconsidered a reference work for generations of guitarists.
He was also the one He incorporated the Peruvian cajon into flamenco, definitively modifying the sound of the genre.. His influence reached musicians of all styles. Keith Richards, for example, placed him among the few guitarists who deserved the title of legend.
For this reason, Mark Knopfler’s phrase transcended as much more than praise. That a musician considered by millions as one of the best rock guitarists admitted «When I saw it I understood that I don’t know how to play the guitar.» ended up becoming one of the greatest recognitions that Paco de Lucía received. More than a sign of humility, it was confirmation that his talent transcended any musical genre.
