Aman's Space

Points will help you to improve

2012-03-05T17:41:00.002+05:30

Personality:

1. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

2. Don't have negative thoughts of things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment

3. Don't over do; keep your limits

4. Don't take yourself so seriously; no one else does

5. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip

6. Dream more while you are awake

7. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

8. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner of his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.

9. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.

10. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present

11. No one is in charge of your happiness except you

12. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.

13. Smile and laugh more

14. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

Community:

15. Call your family often

16. Each day give something good to others

17. Forgive everyone for everything

18. Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6

19. Try to make at least three people smile each day

20. What other people think of you is none of your business

21. Your job will not take care of you when you are sick. Your family and friends will. Stay in touch. Life:

22. Put GOD first in anything and everything that you think, say and do.

23. GOD heals everything

24. Do the right things

25. However good or bad a situation is, it will change

26. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up

27. The best is yet to come

28. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful

29. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it

30. If you know GOD you will always be happy. So, be happy.

World Stretchable Skin Man

2007-09-08T17:27:00.000+05:30

Harry Turner (Garry Turner) from Britain could spread to the abdominal skin to see 15,8 This is due to a rare disease known as syndrome Elersa- Danlosa violation connective tissue, affecting the skin, ligaments and internal organs. Collagen, strengthens skin, and is responsible for its elasticity, damaged, which, among other things, is the weakening of the skin and joints razboltannost. In more severe cases, this can result in the destruction or rupture of blood vessels, leading to death.

Step Up - Story

2007-08-24T22:42:00.000+05:30

He invited all his neighbours to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement he quieted down.

A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up.

As the farmer's neighbours continued to shovel dirt on top of the
animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon,
everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of
the well and happily trotted off!

Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to
getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of
our troubles is a steppingstone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up.

Remember the five simple rules to be happy:

1. Free your heart from hatred - Forgive.

2. Free your mind from worries - Most never happen.

3. Live simply and appreciate what you have.

4. Give more.

5. Expect less

Put the glass down - Story

2007-08-11T23:27:00.000+05:30

A professor began his class by holding up a glass with some water in it. He held it up for all to see; asked the students,' How much do you think this glass weighs?' '50gms!' .... '100gms!' ......'125gms' ......the students answered. 'I really don't know unless I weigh it,' said the professor,'but, my question is: What would happen if I held it up like this for a few minutes?' 'Nothing' the students said. 'Ok what would happen if I held it up like this for an hour? ' the professor asked. 'Your arm would begin to ache' said one of the students. 'You're right, now what would happen if I held it for a day?' 'Your arm could go numb, you might have severe muscle stress; paralysis; Have to go to hospital for sure!'ventured another student; all the students laughed. 'Very good. But during all this, did the weight of the glass change? ' asked The professor. 'No' the students said. Then what caused the arm ache & the muscle stress?' The students were puzzled. 'Put the glass down!' said one of the students. 'Exactly!' said the professor.' Life's problems are something like this. Hold it for a few minutes in your head; they seem OK. Think of them for a long time & they begin to ache. Hold it even longer & they begin to paralyze you. You will not be able to do anything. It's important to think of the challenges (problems) in your life, but EVEN MORE IMPORTANT to 'put them down' at the end of every day before you go to sleep. That way, you are not stressed, you wake up every day fresh & strong & can handle any issue, any challenge that comes your way!' Remember to 'PUT THE GLASS DOWN TODAY!

Dangerous Roads of the World

2007-08-11T00:12:00.000+05:30

Guess Which place has these Dangerous Roads

It's - Switzerland

That's Called - Beauty with Danger :)

Chanakya Niti

2007-08-05T13:29:00.000+05:30

"A person should not be too honest. Straight trees are cut first And Honest people are screwed first." "Even if a snake is not poisonous, It should pretend to be venomous." "The biggest guru-mantra is: Never share your secrets with anybody! It will destroy you." "There is some self-interest behind every friendship. There is no Friendship without self-interests. This is a bitter truth." "Before you start some work, always ask yourself three questions - Why am I doing it, What the results might be and Will I be successful. Only when you think deeply and find satisfactory answers to these questions, go ahead." "As soon as the fear approaches near, attack and destroy it." "Once you start a working on something, Don't be afraid of failure and Don't abandon it. People who work sincerely are the happiest." "The fragrance of flowers spreads Only in the direction of the wind. But the goodness of a person spreads in all direction." "A man is great by deeds, not by birth." "Treat your kid like a darling for the first five years. For the next five years, scold them. By the time they turn sixteen, treat them like a friend. Your grown up children are your best friends." "Books are as useful to a stupid person As a mirror is useful to a blind person."

Optimist Creed

2007-08-05T13:27:00.000+05:30

- Promise Yourself - To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind. To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet. To make all your friends feel that there is something in them. To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true. To think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best. To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own . To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future. To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile. To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others. To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

Golden Lessons

2007-08-05T13:25:00.000+05:30

Smile well and often, it makes people wonder what you've been up to. Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare. Progress always involves risk. You can't steal second with your foot on first. Never let your memories be greater than your dreams. Every success is built on the ability to do better than good enough. What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say. Sometimes people don't hear you until you scream... A ship in harbour is safe, but that is not what ships are built for. The most difficult thing for people to say in 25 words or less is good-bye. Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life. Life's most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others? I use not only the brains I have, but all I can borrow. Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm. When you're through changing, you're through. Donï¿½t compromise yourself. You're all you've got. The person who would like to make his dreams come true must stay awake. A strong, positive attitude will create more miracles than any wonder drug. There is only one way to get anybody to do anythingï¿½ That is by making the other person want to do it. Experience is the hardest kind of teacher. It gives you the test first and the lesson afterward.

Mindset

2007-08-05T13:22:00.000+05:30

As I was passing the elephants, I suddenly stopped, confused by the fact that these huge creatures were being held by only a small rope tied to their front leg. No chains, no cages. It was obvious that the elephants could, at anytime, break away from the ropes they were tied to but for some reason, they did not. I saw a trainer near by and asked why these beautiful, magnificent animals just stood there and made no attempt to get away. "Well," he said, "when they are very young and much smaller we use the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, it's enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away. They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free." I was amazed. These animals could at any time break free from their bonds but because they believed they couldn't, they were stuck right where they were. Like the elephants, how many of us go through life hanging onto a belief that we cannot do something, simply because we failed at it once before?

Attitude

2007-07-31T17:41:00.001+05:30

Jerry was the kind of guy you love to hate. He was always in a good mood and always had something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, " If I were any better, I would be twins!" He was a unique manager because he had several waiters who had followed him around from restaurant to restaurant. The reason the waiters followed Jerry was because of his attitude. He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, Jerry was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation. Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Jerry and asked him, "I don't get it! You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?"

Jerry replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, 'Jerry, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood.' I choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life." "Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested. "Yes, it is," Jerry said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut way all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people will affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live life." I reflected on what Jerry said. Soon thereafter, I left the restaurant industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it. Several years later, I heard that Jerry did something you are never supposed to do in a restaurant business: he left the back door open one morning and was held up at gunpoint by three armed robbers. While trying to open the safe, his hand, shaking from nervousness, slipped off the combination. The robbers panicked and shot him. Luckily, Jerry was found relatively quickly and rushed to the local trauma center. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Jerry was released from the hospital with fragments of the bullets still in his body. I saw Jerry about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied, " If I were any better, I'd be twins. Wanna see my scars?" I declined to see his wounds, but did ask him what had gone through his mind as the robbery took place. "The first thing that went through my mind was that I should have locked the back door," Jerry replied. "Then, as I lay on the floor, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live, or I could choose to die. I chose to live." "Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked. Jerry continued, "The paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the emergency room and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read, 'He's a dead man.' "I knew I needed to take action." "What did you do?" I asked. "Well, there was a big, burly nurse shouting questions at me," said Jerry. "She asked if I was allergic to anything. ' Yes,' I replied. The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breathe and yelled, ' Bullets!' Over their laughter, I told them. 'I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead." Jerry lived thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully. Attitude, after all, is everything. ****** You have 2 choices now: 1. Crib about your daily life and what are you doing and be unhappy . . . 2. Enjoy every moment of your life & give in your Best . . . Keep Smiling Always... ******************************

Work logically

2007-07-31T17:25:00.000+05:30

Father: I want you to marry a girl of my choice

Son: "I will choose my own bride!"

Father: "But the girl is Bill Gate's daughter."

Son: "Well, in that case...ok"

Next Father approaches Bill Gates.

Father: "I have a husband for your daughter."

Bill Gates: "But my daughter is too young to marry!"

Father: "But this young man is a vice-president of the World Bank."

Bill Gates: "Ah, in that case...ok"

Finally Father goes to see the president of the World Bank.

Father: "I have a young man to be recommended as a vice-president."

President: "But I already have more vice- presidents than I need!"

Father: "But this young man is Bill Gate's son-in-law."

President: "Ah, in that case...ok"

Moral : Even If you have nothing, You can get Anything ,

If your attitude is positive.

Power of myth

2007-07-27T14:20:00.000+05:30

Visualise this. A slave in Egypt in 1500 BCE (Before Common Era, formerly known as BC or before the birth of Christ). He hears a man, once a prince, now an outlaw, declare that God has instructed him to take all the slaves to a Promised Land where they can be free. He watches this man do powerful things â€” draw swarms of locusts and predict deadly plagues. Everyone around him is impressed. They start believing in what is being said: the man is chosen by God to be their deliverer. Slowly, the slave lets himself dream of a Promised Land. Finally , he decides to follow the chosen one, out of familiar slavery to an unfamiliar future that holds the promise of freedom. The man he followed is known to us as Moses. And out of his vision was born the nation of Israel that till today forms the cornerstone of Jewish belief. Myth unfortunately is not a positive word. Conventionally, it is taken to mean falsehood. But actually it means something that is not logical. If an idea was logical, everyone would have done it. Leaders exist because they can see things beyond logic. They change the prevalent paradigm and create new parameters of perfection and possibility . They shake things up. They make people sit up and take notice. Leaders need a myth just as magicians need a magic wand. Myth is the philosopher' s stone which can turn lead into gold. Now visualise this. A bonded labourer in India 1930 CE (Common Era, formerly known as AD or since the birth of Christ). He hears a man, an educated householder who looks like an ascetic, telling him to fight oppression not with violence but with a belief in the truth. He watches this frail old man do powerful things â€” shake the mighty British Raj by simply picking up salt, anger the white sahibs by simply wearing white cotton cloth spun by himself . Everyone around him is impressed . They start believing in what is being said: it is possible to change the world by having faith in the truth. Perhaps this man is what they say he is, a Mahatma, a great soul. Slowly, the bonded labourer lets himself dream of freedom. He decides to follow the ascetic . Walk with him, fast with him, follow him till the British are driven out and a new nation state is born, India, where there is hope of freedom for the smallest and simplest of men. Both these are stories of leaders. Moses and Gandhi. One comes from a religious tradition and the other from a political tradition. One draws strength from God, the other from truth. Both are able to communicate their vision to the people so effectively that soon they have hordes of followers . But is the vision real? In hindsight , it is. The followers of Moses did find the Promised Land and the followers of Gandhi did free India. But when it was being communicated, it was just a vision, a dream, a dream the leader first believed in, and which, eventually, the followers believed in too. This belief made the vision real. In other words belief transformed the vision into a subjective truth: a truth that had no evidence but was very real for both the leader and the follower , defining and driving them in life. This subjective truth, this believed vision, is called a myth. Every culture, every organisation, every community is bound together by a myth, which seems absurd, even false, to the outsiders. The myth emerges from the mouth of an individual . And when successfully transmitted (even though not realised) transforms the individual into a leader. If not transmitted, you remain a dreamer , possibly even a lunatic. If you believe you are a leader, what is your myth? What is your subjective truth that defines and drives you? What is it that defines and drives your organisation? What is your Promised Land? Leaders have to create something out of nothing. They have to take people from the known to the unknown. But to do so they need something that will generate belief â€“ in themselves and their vision. It is not easy motivating a person out of his comfort zone. Slaves get so used to slavery that they do not want freedom, especially when there is no guarantee. People are usually cynical . Bonded labourers know that there is no freedom from bondage â€“ only the master changes, once he was brown then he became white. To shatter complacency and cynicism, to generate fire in the belly, leaders need a powerful force that makes people want to follow them. Leaders need myth. But myth is intangible. To make myth tangible one needs stories, symbols and rituals, which become the mythology of the myth, the vehicle of the idea. Moses, for example, established the practice of circumcision amongst his followers. This was meant to distinguish his followers from other people. It was done to establish the covenant with God. To make a man, above the ordinary â€“ one of the chosen tribe. It gave the slave in Egypt dignity, a belief that he mattered, that he had a direct connection with God. Gandhi used to the symbol of salt to establish his political ideology. He knew that salt had a close association with truth across India. The concept of namak-haram (betrayed by one who has eaten my salt) and namak-halal (loyalty of one who had eaten my salt) was popular amongst Hindus and Muslims. It is a matter of debate whether Moses or Gandhi used these rituals and symbols strategically or intuitively . But the fact is in either case, the ritual and the symbol drove home the leader's vision. What is the story, symbol and ritual that drives your myth? Do you have a mythology that embodies your vision? Next time you look at a mission statement or a vision statement, observe how unrealistic and idealistic it all sounds. There is the constant use of superlatives. There is this deep desire to change the way people think and behave . It is almost like the construction of Arthur's Camelot. A place of perfection . Now imagine a world without such statements. And you will realise the power of myth. ----------------x-----------------------------x-------------------------------------x---------

Never Give Up in life - Story

2007-07-24T23:06:00.000+05:30

In 1867, a creative engineer named John Roebling was inspired by an idea to build a spectacular bridge connecting New York with the Long Island. However bridge building experts throughout the world thought that this was an impossible feat and told John Roebling to forget the idea. It just could not be done. It was not practical. It had never been done before.

John Roebling could not ignore the vision he had in his mind of this bridge. He thought about it all the time and he knew deep in his heart that it could be done. He just had to share the dream with someone else. After much discussion and persuasion he managed to convince his son Washington Roebling, an up and coming engineer, that the bridge in fact could be built.

Working together for the first time, the father and son developed concepts of how it could be accomplished and how the obstacles could be overcome. With great excitement and inspiration, and the headiness of a wild challenge before them, they hired their crew and began to build their dream bridge.

The project started well, but when it was only a few months underway a tragic accident on the site took the life of John Roebling. Washington Roebling was injured and left with a certain amount of brain damage, which resulted in him not being able to walk or talk or even move.

"We told them so. Crazy men and their crazy dreams. It's foolish to chase wild visions."

Everyone had a negative comment to make and felt that the project should be scrapped since the John Roebling were the only ones who knew how the bridge could be built. In spite of his handicap Washington Roebling was never discouraged and still had a burning desire to complete the bridge and his mind was still as sharp as ever.

Washington Roebling tried to inspire and pass on his enthusiasm to some of his friends, but they were too daunted by the task. As he lay on his bed in his hospital room, with the sunlight streaming through the windows, a gentle breeze blew the flimsy white curtains apart and he was able to see the sky and the tops of the trees outside for just a moment.

It seemed that there was a message for him not to give up. Suddenly an idea hit him. All he could do was move one finger and he decided to make the best use of it. By moving this, he slowly developed a code of communication with his wife Emily.

Washington Roebling touched his wife's arm with that finger, indicating to her that he wanted her to call the engineers again. Then he used the same method of tapping her arm to tell the engineers what to do. It seemed foolish but the project was under way again.

For 13 years Washington Roebling tapped out his instructions with his finger on his wife's arm, until the bridge was finally completed in 1883. Today the spectacular Brooklyn Bridge stands in all its glory as a tribute to the triumph of one man's indomitable spirit and his determination not to be defeated by circumstances.

It is also a tribute to the engineers and their team work, and to their faith in a man who was considered mad by half the world. It stands too as a tangible monument to the love and devotion of his wife who for 13 long years patiently decoded the messages of her husband Washington Roebling and told the engineers what to do.

Perhaps this is one of the best examples of a never-say-die attitude that overcomes a terrible physical handicap and achieves an impossible goal.

Often when we face obstacles in our day-to-day life, our hurdles seem very small in comparison to what many others have to face. The Brooklyn Bridge shows us that dreams that seem impossible can be realized with determination and persistence, no matter what the odds are.

Even the most distant dream can be realized with persistence and determination.

~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~
Some of the Inspiring Quotes which tell not to give up in life so you can learn something from these Quotes....

1) Never expect things to happen..

struggle and make them happen.

never expect yourself to be given a good valuecreate a value of your own

2) If a drop of water falls in lake there is no identity.But if it falls on a leaf of lotus it shine like a pearl.so choose the best place where you would shine..

3) Falling down is not defeat...defeat is when your refuse to get up...

4) Ship is always safe at shore... but is is not built for it

5) When your successful your well wishers know who you are when you are unsuccessful you know who your well wishers are

6) It is great confidence in a friend to tell him your faults; greater to tell him/her

7) "To the world you might be one person,

but to one person you just might be the world

8) "Even the word 'IMPOSSIBLE' says 'I M POSSIBLE' "

9) Effort is important, but knowing where to make an effort in your life makes all the difference.

Fun Facts : Cats

2007-07-24T22:59:00.000+05:30

Ailurophiles – people who love cats – always want to know more about their favorite pets. Here are some facts about house cats that you might not already know.

Groups of kittens are “kindles,” while groups of adult cats are “clowders.”

One litter of kittens can be produced by more than one father.

Cats weigh an average of 12 pounds. The heaviest cat on record weighed nearly 47 pounds. The lightest was one pound, eight ounces.

A cat’s heart beats up to 140 times per minute, or about twice as fast as a human’s.

Cats have five toes on each front foot, but only four on each back foot.

Many cats don’t have eyelashes.

Many people think that cats are colorblind, but it’s a myth. Now we know that cats can see blues, reds and greens.

Cats will spend about a third of the day grooming. The process is helped along by the backwards-facing spikes on their tongues. Now you know why it feels like being rubbed with sandpaper when they lick you.

They will also spend about 16 hours a day sleeping.

Bluebell, a Persian cat, had fourteen kittens in one litter: the largest single litter in which every kitten survived.

Puss, a cat from England, lived to be 36 in human years: the oldest cat on record.

Sir Isaac Newton invented the cat door.

Ancient Egyptians shaved their eyebrows in mourning when their cats died. And if someone killed a cat, he or she could get the death penalty.

Cats rarely meow at other cats.

Kittens will start dreaming when they’re about one week old.

When kittens are born, their eyes are blue – but they often change color as the babies grow.

Cats can be trained to use the toilet as their litter box. Some can even be taught to flush when they’re done.

Researchers have tried mouse-flavored cat food. The cats who were introduced to it refused to eat it.

You might think it’s disgusting when your cat brings you dead prey (like a bird or mouse), but you should thank her anyway. She thinks that she’s bringing you a present.

Our cats don’t think of themselves as small humans. Rather, they think of us as large cats.

Guitarist - Flamenco

2007-07-21T02:32:00.000+05:30

Paco de Lucia, one of the greatest living guitarist in the world, was born Francisco Sanchez Gomez in Algeciras, a city in the province of Cadiz, in the Southernmost tip of Spain on December 21st, 1947. His stage name is an homage to his mother Lucia Gomez.

His father, Antonio Sanchez, a day laborer, played guitar at night as a way to supplement his income. He, Paco's elder brother Ramon de Algeciras and flamenco master Ni–o Ricardo were de Lucia's main influences. His first performance was on Radio Algeciras in 1958. The brothers Ramon, Pepe (a singer) and Paco now compromise half of the Paco de Lucia sextet.

The training ground for a flamenco guitarist, de Lucia once said, "is the music around you, made by people you see, the people you make music with. You learn it from your family, from your friends, in la juerga (the party) drinking. And then you work on technique. Guitarists do not need to study. And, as it is with any music, the great ones will spend some time working with the young players who show special talent. You must understand that a Gypsy's life is a life of anarchy. That is a reason why the way of flamenco music is a way without discipline as you know it. We don't try to organize things with our minds, we don't go to school to find out. We just live........ music is everywhere in our lives."

The origins of the word flamenco are somewhat in dispute. Some argue that the word refers to the Flemish people who arrived in Spain in the 16th Century and once meant simply foreigner or non-Spanish. Others suggest that the word derives from the Arabic phrase "felah mengu," meaning pleasant in flight.

What is indisputable is that flamenco is a blend of the many cultures - Gypsy, Muslim, Jewish - that at one time settled in Andalucia, in the South of Spain. Their influences can be heard distinctively in the melisma of the singer, the rhythms, the slowly curling harmonic lines of the guitars.

Flamenco is, like the blues to which it is often compared, the music of a poor, disenfranchised minority. But it is also a complex art form that combines guitar playing, singing and dancing, setting off layers of powerful rhythms and emotions. Paco de Lucia was able to grasp these nuances at a very early age.

In 1958, at only age 11, de Lucia made his first public appearance and a year later he was awarded a special prize in the Jerez flamenco competition. At 14 he was touring with the flamenco troupe of dancer Jose Greco. He worked with Greco for three seasons.

It was while on tour with Greco in the United States that de Lucia met the great Sabicas, an influential guitarist whose name became synonymous with flamenco n the U.S., who encouraged him to pursue a more personal style. de Lucia would follow Sabicas' advice a few years later in his debut at Carnegie Hall in 1970.

"In flamenco, the guitarist first and foremost, must not get in his way of the singer," de Lucia once explained. "There is a dialogue going on. The cantaor (singer) sings the words. There are no songs per se in flamenco, just short lyrics, so the guitarist follows the call of the singer. Part of the tradition in flamenco is not playing too hard or too much. You need to support the singer, help him."

Back in Spain, he joined Festival Flamenco Gitano, an annual flamenco showcase tour that lasted for seven years, and recorded his first album in 1965, at the age of 18.

With La Fabulosa Guitarra de Paco de Lucia, released in 1967, de Lucia began to distance himself from the influence masters such as Ricardo and Mario Escudero and by Fantasia Flamenca, recorded in 1969, he had defined his own style. His superb technique was displayed in well structured pieces that departed from the flamenco tradition of theme and variations.

In 1968, he met Camaron de la Isla, one of the premier flamenco singers. Their association has been chronicled on more than 10 records. In fact, their album Potro de Rabia y Miel (1991), the first by them since 1984, was perhaps the last release by Camaron de la Isla, who died in 1992.

de Lucia's new style became more evident in El Duende Flamenco (1972). Fuente Y Caudal (1973) (which included the hit Entre Dos Aguas) and Almoraima (1976) which some consider a masterpiece. They were followed by Paco de Lucia Interpreta a Manuel de Falla (1980), a superb tribute to the classical composer who was an admirer of flamenco music, and, in 1981, Solo Quiero Caminar.

He has been criticized by flamenco die hards for his forays into other styles (his own sextet, organized in 1981), includes bass, drums, and saxophone) and his high profile collaborations, especially with jazz musicians, most notably with pianist Chick Corea and fellow guitarist John McLaughlin, Larry Coryell and Al DiMeola. But the often dazzling results of these collaborations have been documented in several releases including the guitar trio albums Castro Marin (1979), Passion Grace and Fire (1982) and Friday Night in San Francisco (1981). He has also recorded soundtracks for films such as Carlos Saura's Carmen, Borau's La Sabina, and the ballet Los Tarantos, presented at Madrid's prestigious Teatro de la Zarzuela in 1986.

However, as if to make a point, de Lucia returned to pure flamenco with a vengeance in the spectacular Siroco (1987), a brilliant summations of his style, and then zigzagged back towards fusion with Zyryab (1990), which featured his sextet augmented by pianist Chick Corea.

de Lucia shrugs off the complaints or the concerns that he might lose his roots or betray the essence of flamenco. "I have never lost my roots in my music, because I would lose myself," he once said. "What I have tried to do is have a hand holding onto tradition and the other scratching, digging in other places trying to find new things I can bring into flamenco."

"There was a time when I was concerned about losing myself," he added, "but not now. I've realized that, even if I wanted, I couldn't do anything else. I am a flamenco guitarist. If I tried to play anything else it would still sound like flamenco."