Danza Mora
“Danza Mora” — Spanish for “Moorish Dance” — is one of the most beloved solo compositions by the legendary flamenco master Sabicas, conjuring the Moorish heritage that lies at the roots of Andalusian music.
Written by Sabicas (Agustín Castellón Campos, 1912–1990), the piece belongs to the tradition of concert flamenco he did so much to define — flamenco composed not as accompaniment for dance, but for the solo guitarist alone on the stage. Its hypnotic, modal melody and the exotic colour of its harmonies have made it a favourite among guitarists drawn to the meeting point of Spain and the East.
Grisha Goryachev’s recording
The Russian-born virtuoso Grisha Goryachev records “Danza Mora” on solo flamenco guitar for Alma Flamenca, where it joins a set of Sabicas works — Malagueña, Soleá and Bulerías — alongside his transcriptions of Isaac Albéniz and flamenco by Paco de Lucía. Goryachev is one of the very few concert guitarists today to carry on the solo flamenco tradition of Ramón Montoya and Sabicas; like nearly all classic flamenco, his Sabicas repertoire was transcribed entirely by ear from the original recordings rather than from any printed score.
The complete Sabicas tribute
For an entire album devoted to the master, Goryachev’s Homenaje a Sabicas gathers eleven of his compositions — among them Danza Arabe, Farruca, Alegrías, Taranta and Fantasia Inca. Rather than copying the originals note for note, Goryachev reshapes each with the dynamics and tone colours of the classical concert tradition, preserving masterpieces that survive only on Sabicas’s own recordings.