Great Masters Of Flamenco #6

Carmen Amaya was a full-blooded gypsy, descended from the ancient Chavori e Baraje tribe which traces it's origins back to India. She was born in 1915 in Ciudad Condal to a professional guitarist, who used to take her with him to the flamenco taverns where he played. By the time she was five years old, Amaya was already mesmerizing the public with her dancing. At the 1929 Barcelona World's Fair, she danced before thousands of spectators. In the 40 s, she traveled to the U.S., where she made a number of films, and she also played on Broadway. She toured the world (frequently accompanied by one of the greatest guitarists of our time, Sabicas) and danced to the applause of Roosevelt and Churchill. Between 1948 and 1959, Amaya made a handful of recordings which captured her gypsy singing as well as guitar and the sound of her extraordinary dancing. During an electric career that spanned 20 years, Carmen Amaya earned a fortune, but her family lived at her expense; she died at just 48 years old, from a respiratory infection contracted during her continuous traveling to perform.