Paco San José is a Cantabrian recording artist, composer, and professor of traditional Cantabrian music.

Early life

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Paco San José was born on May 18, 1958, in Santander, Spain. He later graduated from the Jesús de Monasterio Conservatory, after which he became a composer and professional musician.[1]

Career

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Paco San José his career he has recorded on reed instruments such as Andean flutes, mountain whistles, dulzaina bagpipes, clarinet, silbo, kena, Spanish guitar, and accordion.[1] Over his career he has recorded forty albums, the majority of which consist of popular Cantabrian music—a form of folk music from the Cantabrian region of Spain.[2] He is also the founder of the Santander Piteros Collective.[3] José is a founding professor of the Santander School of Traditional Music, where he instructs students on various instruments. He served as the director of the International Piteros Festival in Cantabria.[1] In 2010 he also published the book The secret life of the piteros. 30 years of anecdotes and experiences.[4]

In 2007 he received a commendation from the Parliament of Cantabria upon the 25th anniversary of the regions autonomy.[1] Upon his thirtieth anniversary as a recording artist, a half hour feature on his career broadcast over national radio from a stage at the Centro de Acción Social y Cultural de Caja Cantabria.[5] In June 2022, he received the Proa Award from the Cantabrian Folklore Gala—a lifetime achievement award.[3][6]

Personal life

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In his personal life, José is an amateur mountain climber.[7]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "El pitero Paco San José, Premio Proa 2022". eldiariocantabria.es. June 9, 2022.
  2. ^ Balbona, Guillermo (June 11, 2022). "La Gala del Folclore Cántabro distingue a Paco San José con el Premio Proa y estrena una de sus obras". El Diario Montañés.
  3. ^ a b Ruiz, Rosa (June 20, 2022). "Paco San José: "Ahora hay más piteros que nunca, pero también menos trabajo que antes"". El Diario Montañés.
  4. ^ ""Con este libro busco que no se pierdan grandes historias musicales y humanas"". El Diario Montañes. December 20, 2010.
  5. ^ "La vida secreta de los piteros Paco San Jose". December 21, 2010 – via Internet Archive.
  6. ^ "EL PITERO PACO SAN JOSÉ, PREMIO "PROA" 2022 – Folk Cantabria de Pablo de la Torriente". June 9, 2022.
  7. ^ Díaz, Ramón (June 10, 2016). "Un 'Sí, quiero' a 2.519 metros". La Provincia - Diario de Las Palmas.