Rosaura López Lorenzo*,
En casa de John Lennon, La Coruña, Hércules, 2005, p. 78 (=I beg your pardon for my bad translation into English):
"...Amongst the few expressions that so gracefully John used in Castilian, it was the name of the flamenco guitar player by whom he had a very fond admiration: Manitas de Plata. But he couldn't understand that I had never heard about him.
- That's impossible, Rosa, Manitas de Plata plays the guitar like anyone. He has to be a star in Spain!!
- Spain is bigger than you figure, John. And not everywhere in Spain** the people listen to flamenco.
- But if Manitas de Plata is a genious! He is a guitar hero! -John insisted and shaked his head as if I myself was comdemned to the ethernal fire by confesing my ignorance..."
Xosé
*
As you probably know, Rosaura (=unfortunately, she died in 2006) was the Galician housekeeper who worked for the Lennon's at the Dakota between 1976 and 1980. Her book -in fact, written by two journalists after interviewed her several times between 2001 and 2004- is an absolute 'must' for every Beatlemaniac...**
Rosaura was Galician, and Galicia -my native country in Spain, and where I live- is one of the countries in Spain with no flamenco ttradition...
