“Two prodigies born in the same house with such enormous talent can only happen once every 100,000 years”: Lost recordings from flamenco virtuoso Paco de Lucía have been discovered – after spending 60 years stored in a meat can

21 new tracks from the Spanish flamenco guitar master Paco de Lucía, and his brother, singer and songwriter Pepe de Lucía, have been unearthed after being hidden in a quince meat box for over 60 years. 

The tracks, which the guitarist and his brother recorded when they were 11 and 13 years old, have now been collated into an album, aptly titled Pepito y Paquito. 

The recording took place between 1959 and 1960 on a Grundig tape recorder in Algeciras, first in the brothers' family home and then in the quiet house of the mother of Reyes Benítez, the brothers' main supporter. Its existence was known, but the exact location of the reels was a mystery, until Quique Benítez, Reyes Benítez’s son, found them in 2022. 

Considering the recording's age, the songs were recovered and restored thanks to new technology. They represent a moment in time before the brothers' breakthrough as Los Chiquitos de Algeciras and the release of Paco de Lucía's collaborative album, Dos guitarras flamencas en stereo, with Madrileño flamenco guitarist Ricardo Modrego. 

Pepito y Paquito captures a moment in time when the two children were still discovering their inherent talents. Paco de Lucía’s guitar playing sounds distinctive and self-assured, projecting the long shadow of the legacy he would develop. 

“Despite all the possibilities discovered in our instrument over the generations, it is not surprising to hear Maestro Paco at 12 years old already chasing the next level of what could be. In fact, according to these recordings, he was already there in many ways,” comments jazz guitar great Pat Metheny.

Paco De Lucía - Bulerías Niño Ricardo (Official Audio) - YouTube

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John McLaughlin agrees, adding: “Thanks to my friendship with Paco, I met his brother Pepe and heard him sing, and here is another phenomenon. Pepe's singing at 13 years old is incredible. How can two children play and sing so well, with such passion and maturity? 

“Two prodigies born in the same house with such enormous talent can only happen once every 100,000 years."

• Pepito y Paquito is out today via BMG Spain and the Paco de Lucía Foundation.