05/22/2026
Paco de Málaga (Francisco Escalante)
In Loving MemoryPaco de Málaga (Francisco Escalante)January 30, 1937 – May 21, 2026
It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Paco de Málaga (Francisco Escalante), a Spanish flamenco guitarist whose music helped carry flamenco and Spanish culture across the world. He passed away peacefully in his sleep on May 21, 2026, at the age of 89, only three weeks after the passing of his beloved wife, Ana MartĂnez (Escalante), his lifelong partner in life and art.
Paco lived an extraordinary life defined by resilience, reinvention, the sound of his guitar, and his deep devotion to family.
Paco was born in Teba, a town in the province of Málaga, Spain, on January 30, 1937, into a country torn apart by the Spanish Civil War. Five months before he was born, that war took his father, who was executed by firing squad and placed in a mass grave. Paco grew up amid the famine and hardship that followed the war. He later lived in Madrid for a few years before returning to Málaga, where music would begin to shape the course of his life.
Upon his return to Málaga, Paco came into contact with the family of Paco de LucĂa, who would become one of the most legendary flamenco guitarists in the world. He met Paco de LucĂa's father, Antonio Sánchez Pecino, known as "El Gitano Rubio," himself a guitarist, as well as Paco de LucĂa's older brother, RamĂłn de Algeciras. Through that connection, Paco began taking guitar lessons that would shape the rest of his life and open the path to his own life as a flamenco guitarist.
In 1954, Paco and more than 30 members of his family left Spain for Brazil in search of a new life, beginning a chapter that would change the course of his future.
At 17, Paco met Ana, and from that moment, their love story began. He first won over Ana's family, and in time, convinced Ana that he was her destiny. On December 21, 1963, Paco married the love of his life, beginning a marriage of more than 62 years and a partnership built on love, family, and flamenco.
Together, Paco and Ana built an international flamenco partnership, with her dance and his guitar bringing flamenco to audiences across the world as they toured and performed in Spain, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Canada, and the United States.
Through his flamenco guitar, Paco carried the art, emotion, and soul of Spain to audiences across the world — sharing its depth through every note he played. His guitar was heard on stage, television, radio, film, and through the soundtrack of a documentary. He also recorded three albums, leaving behind a recorded legacy of his flamenco artistry.
Together, Paco and Ana were among the early pioneers who helped plant the seeds of flamenco in São Paulo during the 1950s and 1960s. His guitar gave those years their soul — the rhythm, the duende, the sound that made a community feel the spirit of Spain from thousands of miles away. Through music and performance, he helped keep that connection alive, building a foundation that would outlast their time there.
In the late 1960s, Paco and Ana's career brought them back to Spain, where they headlined concerts and were recognized at the height of their artistic lives. It was Paco who helped make the decision to walk away from the fame — trading the spotlight for something he valued more. He chose family not reluctantly, but with the same conviction he brought to every note he played.
After settling in the United States, Paco helped lay the musical foundation of flamenco in Washington, D.C. The guitarists, the rhythms, the accompaniment that gave Washington's flamenco scene its backbone — much of that traces back to what he built. His influence lives on not just in those who heard him play, but in those who learned from him how flamenco guitar is meant to sound.
Paco's contributions to Spanish culture were formally recognized when he received the Cruz de Oficial of the Real Orden de Isabel la Católica, conferred in the name of His Majesty the King of Spain — a distinction that honored a life spent carrying the soul of Spain to the world through his guitar.
Paco was also honored by the Ayuntamiento de Teba, Málaga, Spain, with the title of Hijo Predilecto, often translated as "Favorite Son," the municipality's highest civic distinction, recognizing individuals whose life, achievements, and prestige bring honor to Teba.
After being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, Paco's family watched, little by little, as the light in him began to dim. There were fewer smiles, fewer laughs, and fewer words. After Ana's passing, his decline became profound, and his health quickly worsened. In his final days, his words were few, but one of the last gifts he gave his son, José Antonio, was telling him that he loved him.
Paco is survived by his son, José Antonio Escalante; his son-in-law, Herbert Juarbe; his grandchildren, Catalina and Diego Juarbe Escalante; his great-grandchildren, Luca, Alaïa, and Miles Montello; and his extended family.
The sound of his guitar will continue to echo through all those touched by his music.
Funeral Mass
A funeral Mass honoring Paco and Ana together will be held:
Saturday, July 18, 202610:30 a.m.St. Raphael Catholic Church1513 Dunster RoadPotomac, Maryland 20854
A reception will follow, where family and friends may gather to remember and celebrate Paco and Ana.
Flowers: Those who wish to honor Paco and Ana with flowers may have them sent to St. Raphael Catholic Church for the funeral Mass and reception.
Paco and Ana were always together in life, and his family takes comfort in knowing that her dance and his guitar are reunited on the stage in heaven.
And every time we hear thunder and lightning, we will know it is Ana dancing in the clouds — and in the rain that follows, we will hear your guitar.
Vaya vida, Paco de MálagaQue descanses en paz
Care Entrusted to Thibadeau Mortuary124 E. Diamond Avenue, Gaithersburg, MD 20877-5009301-495-4950www.InterFaithFunerals.com
View Francisco Escalante's obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.
