"Unlike miss Steinhauser who prefers to use this CD as a frisbee I think that the combination of the voices, the clapping and the guitar make it a wonderfuly balanced flamenco CD. If you are ignorant enough to hear only guitars, you should not by this CD, but good flamenco it cerainly is."
Cante y Sabicas
Frank Bader | Seattle, WA United States | 11/20/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Flamenco guitar traditionally was used to accompany the singing(cante) and dancing(baile). There are a few Sabicas solo guitar albums out there, but this is one where he's heard in this traditional role. If you find the beautiful singing "horrible", as one reviewer did, sit down, close the blinds and listen again."
A Landmark Recording
Carlos | 07/30/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Flamenco Fiesta is a reissue of the old Elektra LP 149, Festival Gitana, recorded in the late 1950s. Elektra assembled guitarists Sabicas, his brother Diego Castellon, and Mario Escudero, singers Enrique Montoya and Domingo Alvarado, and Los Trianeros for palmas and general jaleo. While Montoya and Alvarado may not have been regarded as the most "authentic" cantaores of their era, this particular recording session, especially the interaction of the others with Montoya, evoked some of the greatest cante heard from expat "traveling troupe" flamencos. Montoya and Alvarado teamed up on several of the palos--tientos, fandangos, verdiales, fandangos de Huelva--singing alternate coplas, and thus spurring each other on to greater and greater heights of performance, in a shared realization that they were accomplishing something extraordinary. Individually, Montoya's soleares and especially his bulerias and siguiriyas are remarkable, as are Alvarado's taranta and martinete. An astonishingly fine recording by two unlikely singers, and, of course, an amazing trio of guitarists."
Magnificant
flamenko | canada | 09/22/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"In the beginning singers used to sing and dancers used to dance and there was no guitar in flamenco. The guitar was added later as accompaniment. This flamenco CD is a true flamenco and Sabicas is great on the guitar as always. Those who toss CDs over the balcony because of flamenco singers, in my opinion still do not get flamenco. Great flamenco music."