Summer has burst over London, the city Paco Peña has called home since the late 1960s. Even so, he’s keen to be heading into an Australian winter, brisk though it might be at times. It might be warm in the UK now now, but otherwise things are “a little bit gloomy”, he says.

“The pandemic was something that affected all of humanity and was unavoidable, but the situation here, especially for young musicians, is not very good,” Peña tells Limelight.

“Brexit and all the politics that came with that has created barriers for people who are trying to develop a career, especially those from Europe. My heart really does bleed to those who just want to project their talent and are finding it much more difficult. In my opinion, it is a great pity that politics here went the way it did.”

But neither Brexit, nor age (Peña is 81) can keep the guitarist stationary for very long. He maintains a heavy playing and touring schedule, one that will bring him to Australia in late July for major shows in Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra.

Paco Peña (right). Photo supplied

“For me it...