Manitas de Plata

Manitas de Plata        Manitas left, Hippolyte Baliardo right, with long grey hair
				and green jacket

Manitas de Plata   CD La Camargue de Manitas
Manitas de Plata at Sts. Maries 1996

Born August 7th, 1921 à Sète, south of France, 

son of Gustave "Chocolat" Baliardo. 

See the news about his 79th birthday in French newspaper 

Children: Manéro, Antonio, Tcha, Fernando, Christiane, married with Manuel Arenas
          Carmen, married with Robert Laborde
Brothers / Sisters: Hippolyte Baliardo, Tali, mother of Manolo

Discovered by Lucien Clergue, Ricardo Baliardo, known as Manitas de Plata,
started his career in 1961, recording his first vinyls, together with
José Reyes as singer, and Manéro Baliardo, his son, as singer too.
Paplo Picasso, Salvator Dali are friends of him and Manitas performs often
for them and their friends.

It's told, that Picasso said, that Manitas is a greater artist than himself,
and he has to earn much more money for his guitar-play as himself for his
pictures.

Later, a lot of song has been recorded where Manitas was accompagned by members
of his grand family:
his brother Hippolyte Baliardo, his sons Manéro and Tcha, the sons of
Hippolyte Nanasso, Bambo, an other nephew Ricardo Bissaro, his son-in-law
Manuel Arenas, José "Chabo" Vila.

With his work, Manitas prepared the way for many flamenco player of the Camargue,
especially for the Gipsy Kings, formed by the sons of José Reyes and members
of the Baliardo family.