Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

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MONTOYA, Carlos and Ramon

Flamenco guitarists. Ramon (1879--1949) was noted for classicism and virtuosity, and variously held responsible for the liberation of flamenco guitar and its commercial debasement. Accompanied Antonio Chacon 1912--26; left Spain during the Civil War and performed for Elizabeth (now the Queen Mother) '38, returned to Spain after the war to accompany Pepe Marchena. Reissues of his recordings incl. vol. 5 of Grandes figures du flamenco on Le Chante du Monde and vol. 6 of Maestros de la guitarra flamenca on Planet. His nephew Carlos (1913--93) popularized flamenco guitar in the USA; he did not learn directly from Ramon, but was performing in caf‚s cantantes by age 14, and soon toured with the dancer La Argentina (d '36), in '38 joining the troupe of La Argentinita (no relation, d '45; b Encarnacion Lopez, she was a close friend of Lorca, with whom she recorded Coleccion de Canciones Populares '31, reissued on Sonifolk '90). That troupe toured the USA; Carlos married an American '40 and later acquired citizenship despite mistakenly answering 'no' to the question, 'Do you like the American form of government?' He began to perform solo in NYC '45 with an agile if not always deeply emotional technique; he claimed that flamenco was not folk music because it could only be played by a small number of people. His large number of recordings incl. Flamenco Guitar and Spontaneous Flamenco on ABC; his peak of fame was in the '50s, but he regarded his Suite Flamenca '66 as his high point.