Canción Andaluza (English: Andalusian Song) is the final studio album by Spanish musician Paco de Lucía, released on April 29, 2014 through Universal Music Spain.[1] It was released posthumously after his death on February 25, 2014. Produced by de Lucía himself, it features collaborations with fellow Flamenco singers Estrella Morente and Vicente Castro "Parrita", and Venezuelan salsa musician Oscar D'León.[2]
Canción Andaluza marked the first studio album by de Lucía in ten years since Cositas Buenas, released in 2014. The album was recorded at Casa Paco, his residency in Palma de Mallorca, Spain between late 2012 and early 2013, with the post-production of the album being marked by the death of de Lucía, who passed away on February 25, 2014 in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.[4][5] The production of the album appeared in the 2014 documentary film Paco de Lucía: La Búsqueda, directed by Francisco Sánchez Varela.[6] The cover for the album is a portrait of de Lucía, taken by his wife Gabriela Canseco.[4]
The album consists of eight coplas, a form of Spanish popular song also called "canción andaluza". It opens with "María de la O", a song written by composers Manuel López-Quiroga, Rafael de León and Salvador Valverde, and popularized by Marifé de Triana.[5] The second track is "Ojos Verdes", also written by Quiroga, León and Valverde. Both songs had previously appeared in 12 Éxitos Para Dos Guitarras Flmencas (1965), the third collaborative album of de Lucía with Spanish guitarist Ricardo Modrego.[7] The third track is "Romance de Valentía", followed by "Te He de Querer Mientras Viva", a song dedicated to Gabriela Canseco.[5] The latter song features singer Estrella Morente, de Lucía had previously appeared in Morente's 2012 album Autorretrato, in the track "Seguirillas de la Verdad".[7]
The fifth track is "La Chiquita Piconera", a song popularized by singer Pepe Pinto, among others.[7] The next track "Zambra Gitana" is the second collaboration in the album, featuring vocals from singer Vicente Castro "Parrita".[8] The seventh track is "Quiroga por Bulerías", a compendium of the melodies of "La Ruiseñora", "Lola la Piconera", "Señor Sargento Ramírez" and "Candelaria la del Puerto", all written by Antonio Quintero alongside Manuel Quiroga and Rafael de León.[8] The final track is the Caribbean-infused "Señorita", written by de León and Juan Solano Pedrero. The song features the third collaborator of the album, Venezuelan salsa musician and bassist Oscar D'León.[7][8]
Commercial performance
In Spain, Canción Andaluza debuted at the top of the Spanish Albums chart, staying in the chart for 35 weeks. It is the first and only number-one album in the chart to date as well as his highest appearance in the chart since Cositas Buenas (2005), which peaked at number 37.[9] The album also appeared at the Spanish Albums year-end chart, peaking at number 41.[10]Canción Andaluza was algo certified gold in the country, selling over 20,000 copies.[11]
