Niño Ricardo

Spanish Guitar Player (1904-1972)

Niño Ricardo (Boy Ricardo), born in Seville on July 11th in 1904, is considered as one of the greatest flamenco guitar masters of his days. He played a significant part in the evolution of the flamenco guitar and without him, the flamenco guitar would not been what it is today. Niño Ricardo developed many rich, remarkable rhythmic flamenco guitar compositions, characterized by his unique playing technique and tone, produced by his typical upward curving fingernails. His name can be found alongside Ramon Montoya, Javier Molina and Manolo de Huelva. At a very young age of 13 years he began playing in the Salon Vigil in Sevilla where the local audiences referred to him as the son of Ricardo, giving him leading to his stage name Niño [de] Ricardo. In 1924 he began his long career by accompanying La Niña de los Peines and her brother Tomas Pavon. In 1972, at the age of 68, Niño Ricardo died. The book ‘Flamenco: Gypsy Dance and Music from Andalusia’, written by Claus Schreiner, describes that flamenco guitar music, after the Spanish Civil War and World War II, was largely dominated by the style of performers like Niño Ricardo. Many modern flamenco guitarists were influenced by Ricardo such as Paco Peña, Paco de Lucia, Juan Martín and many more.
His son Niño Ricardo (Hijo) is also a flamenco guitarist.

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