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Title: Fake flamenco
Review: The best I can say about Manitas is that he comes from the same extended french Gitano family which produced the flamenco pop group "Gypsy Kings." At least the Kings don't pretend to be playing "flamenco puro" but embrace the popular forms of gypsy "Rumbas" with some "Bulerias" thrown in now and then (always in the proper rhymn or "compas." Manitas is notorious among flamenco aficianos for messing up the rhythms, and playing rather uninspired melodies. But the real evidence of his mediocrity is that when judged by the old American Bandstand criteria, "you can't dance to it." The best flamenco guitarist, of this age or any earlier, is the one who can accompany the dance and the cante. Good flamenco recordings are more available in the U.S. than ever before. Don't wast your time on Manitas de Plata, "Little Hands of Silver." All that glitters, etc. etc.
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