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When I met Luis Vargas around 1978, he was one of three Spanish cantaores working in New York. His contemporaries, Paco Ortiz and Domingo Alvarado have passed on, but Luis is still with us. This CD represents recordings from two concerts featuring his cante. Born in Algeciras, his career spans over 60 years. He toured many years with Jose Greco and Maria Benitez. His earlier career is captured in a 1969 video, “Sabicas, King of the Guitar.” It includes segments danced by Maria Alba’s company with Luis singing and Adonis Puertas playing guitar. Flamenco Latino produced classes in cante with Luis at Fazil’s dance studio in the 1990s. His material was presented with simplicity and clarity. His choice of letras gets to the heart of the matter and never lacks wit. Musically, his style is understated, but emotional. His use of “tres por arriba” for nearly all the cantes makes the accompanist work to always be creative. We hope this CD is an excellent document of the scope of his cante. — Basilio Georges