A dedicated family man, he is married to soprano Nancy Stokes. The
couple has a 6-year-old son, Shawn, and Milnes has two other children
from a previous marriage. He has been a Westsider for almost 10 years.
Not at all snobbish about his own musical gifts, Milnes believes that
singing is excellent recreation for anyone, regardless of voice quality. "I
encourage people to sing in the shower. It's a great emotional outlet. Even
if you're lousy, it makes you sound fantastic. When I'm on the stage, I
always have that feeling that I'm never going to sound as good as I do in
the shower. You can't get the same _ring_ when you're singing to 5,000
people."
********
WESTSIDER CARLOS MONTOYA
Master of the flamenco guitar
10-28-78
Carlos Montoya speaks two languages. The first is music; the other is
Spanish. At 74, he is the world's most famous master of flamenco -- the
ancient folk music of the Spanish gypsies, which Montoya performs with
dazzling speed and dexterity. On October 29 he will give a major concert
at Avery Fisher Hall.
With more than 30 albums to his credit, Montoya is the most recorded
flamenco guitarist in history. He is thoroughly committed to his
instrument. It is not merely his living, but his life. He is a pure gypsy --
"on all four sides," as the Spanish say. Maybe that explains why he likes
to tour from January to May and from October to December every year,
almost nonstop, across the U.S. and Canada, to South America, Europe
and the Far East. He has been a Westsider since the 1940s and has rented
the same Westside apartment since 1957. Yet when people ask Montoya
where he lives, he is likely to reply, "On airplanes."
An American citizen for more than 30 years, he is perhaps the first
persons ever to acquire citizenship after answering "no" to the question,
"Do you like the American form of government?" Because of his poor
English, he had misunderstood the query. He corrected himself, and that
night played for President Harry Truman.
Montoya's wife, Sally, is his steady helpmate. Since their marriage in
1940, she has been his manager, interpreter and best friend. He still
speaks little English, so interviews with him are often ponderous three
way affairs. When I arrived at the Montoyas' residence late one morning,
he was very polite, but eager to get the interview over with. "Vamos," he
said. His demeanor changed when he discovered that I was able to
understand his crisp, precise Spanish when spoken slowly. We quickly
dispensed with the interpreter.