Paco Pena

"There is a great deal of reflection in the music. Reflection about life, about deep feelings and about pain. This is really the kind of technique you have to master. In my case, I like to do things spontaneously and I don't like to prepare things necessarily as I'm going to record them. There is some pressure, because you have to do it for the first time. I set out to do one performance, like I was in a concert situation, and even if there are some mistakes, that is the way I like it and I leave it directly to be cut."

"I haven't thought much about the commercial success of my music, because I was required to do a record and that's what I did. If there is any consideration that I must take in the future, it is to be honest with my music....Although I think our main dedication is to present an artistic expression as honest as possible without any consideration for commercial ambition. I think flamenco has that in itself anyway: flamenco is commercial."--Paco Pena, RPM, April 29, 1989