For over 45 years Paco Peña has been bringing authentic Flamenco to enthusiasts the World over, touring tirelessly both as a soloist and with his own Flamenco Dance Company. His shows present not just the latest musical fashions, but a panorama of the whole culture and history of the idiom. He has received the highest awards for his achievements-from the Potro de Oro of his native city of Córdoba, to a film profile by BBC Television, to induction as Oficial de la Cruz de la Orden del Mérito Civil by King Juan Carlos of Spain. In 2012 the guitarist was awarded the 2012 Kennedy Center Gold Medal for Fine Arts (along with tenor Plácido Domingo and filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar, among others).

To have become an institution in both your native country as well as in England and the United States is remarkable; but this is what Paco Peña has achieved as he reaches his 70th birthday.

Since his first venture to England in 1963, he has become one of Flamenco's best-known and best-loved ambassadors the world over. His engaging stage personality and eclectic approach have attracted a wide audience outside the usual guitar and flamenco enthusiasts. Perhaps even more surprising (to the uninitiated) is that Paco has managed this while remaining loyal to the concepts of traditional Flamenco.

Francisco (Paco) Peña Pérez was born in Córdoba, Spain, in 1942, the youngest of nine children. He was taught the guitar from an early age by his brother, making his first professional appearance at 12 and soon after appearing with dance companies in Madrid and the Costa Brava. On a visit to England in 1963, he noticed how enthusiastic the British audiences were; and in 1967 decided to move to London