Guitar Influences
Since then, the music I have felt most affinity with is from different places and players and over the years it has slowly fallen into Latin and Spanish. It may have started from my fathers’ obsessive relief whistle of Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez after a day of anaesthetizing patients all through the 1970’s. But I would say José Feliciano’s style, the genre of Bolero and Flamenco are probably my three major influences.
Jose Feliciano is a player I particularly identify with, I remember him on the radio as a sixties child and have been fortunate to see him several times. His earlier spanish hits like "Amor Gitano" I often play but "Falsa Moneda", "El Dia Que Naci Yo" and "Lu y Sombra" show a similar format but have more complex chord progressions than my own tunes. Since I have heard Feliciano’s version of Amor Gitano I have heard others play it. Its a standard. Some would say Feliciano is "Pop" but I think that is more from the western music he's played. I find him a really interesting guitarist because he was borrowing from both Flamenco and Latin Styles back in the 50’s and 60’s. He’s a crossover.
It is not only his playing that I enjoy but also the fact that Feliciano started playing music that was not from the place that he lived (when he grew up in New York). HIs sound was not American even though he lived there. I like to think that my sound is not Australian even though I live here!
Then there is the Bolero - Nuevo Trova style of Cuba, Mexico and Latin singer-guitarists that I would identify with more than aspiring to Flamenco. By Bolero I don't mean the opera. Latin Bolero has spread throughout the world, including Vietnam and Tasmania. Inclusive of Bolero there are singer guitarists like Miguel Del Morales with songs like "Obsecion" or "Como Una Madrigal" and Alejandro Almenares - both Cuban (see documentary film "Cuba Feliz"). Then there's Buena Vista Social Club but that's a band and I'm more a soloist. Buena Vista Songs are also played by Flamenco singer Diego el Cigala born in Madrid and whose style follows a more flamenco influence. So there’s the cross cultural thing going on there and a sharing of “standards”. There are the songs of Consuelo Velazquez ("Besame Mucho"), Joan Baez and Atahualpa Yupanqui that are influences. Outside of Bolero, there are the songs of Antonio Carlos Jobim from Brazil, many of which have become jazz standards.
Flamenco has a rhythm all its own and people may associate what I do with that. Using Spanish Lyrics, the harmonic minor scale, a few rasquedos and the occasional Andalusian Cadence may be Flamenco in some peoples eyes but I guess my rhythm is more in keeping with Bolero and Flamenco Compas is pretty much a slippery rhythm fish for me. Flamenco "faves" would be Paco De Lucia ("Entre dos Aguas" - 1976), Vincente Amigo ("y los patois de Còrdoba"), Cameron de Isla ("Tus Ojillos Negros"), Diego el Cigala & Bebo Valdés ("Lágrimas Negras"), Canut Reyes (singer from the Gypsy Kings), "El Chalo" y "El Lirola" ("Entre dos Aguas" and "El Chalo Flamenco Encuentro con los Gitanos Españoles"). Search You Tube for any of these. I could not find many Flamenco singers that are guitarists as well. They seem to either just sing or play guitar but they may be out there if you look hard.
I don't know of many local Bolero type Tasmanian guitarist singers apart from myself. Its a bit of a rare style! There is a growing contingent of Columbians that something may spring from. There is Paul Gerard, but he is more a Flamenco guitarist and is not a singer.