Here is the introduction to Temple written by the flamenco critic Miguel Angel Gonzalez :
The presentation of Emilio Maya's first CD, "Temple", which took place officially at the International Festival of Music and Dance in Granada 2004, is a cause for rejoicing for fans of flamenco guitar. Emilio Maya is an excellent guitarist, practically self-taught, though, of course, his studies have been influenced by such revolutionary personalities of flamenco music as Paco de Lucia and Manolo Sanlucar.
Emilio has enjoyed much success in and outside of Spain, notably accompanying singers such as Enrique Morente, Carmen Linares, Estrella Morente and dancers such as Antonio Canales, Anna Cali and Juan Andreas Maya, among many other figures of the genre. He has also demonstrated his versatility alongside the mythical Miles Davis in a documentary for the BBC. Emilio Maya's playing has, in the opinion of the signatory of these lines, a personality, a distinctive stamp that makes it unmistakable: a clean sound, perfectly matching a deep purity with a rare eclecticism.
In 2003 Emilio performed at the Flamenco Fería in Sevilla and the Flamenco Festival in Granada with the group ‘Los Faraones’ which included several singers from his own group, Victor El Charico, Antonio Campos and Juan Angel ‘El Tirado’ who would go on to colloborate with him on his album which he began recording that year. His producer Harold Burgon had already worked with such flamenco artists as Enrique Morente and his daughter Estrella with whom he recorded tracks for her albums ‘Mi cante y un Poema’ and ‘Calle del Agua’. Harold Burgon had also produced the CD 'Cale Calé' (Gypsy Rhythms) with both Emilio Maya and Enrique Morente as guest artists. It went on to win the National Critics Award for best flamenco percussion album 2002.
