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Juan Carranza
Mareas (Oliver Sudden Productions)
$16.99
Costa Rican born guitarist Juan Carranza merges traditional and new flamenco with an undercurrent of Latin and North African rhythms on this collection of ten original songs. This is no slick pastiche a la Gipsy Kings, but rough and ready roots music played with great energy and skill and delivered with passion and creative spark.
Juan Carranza: guitar, vocals
Juan Miguel Medina Flores: cajon, darbouka, djembe
Paul Mattsson: fretless electric bass and upright acoustic bass
Rae Bowhay: flamenco dance
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Listen:
Mareas
Fogata
Persiguiendo la luna
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His third release Mareas sparkles with pleasant energy, be it in his tight and percussive touch on the guitar, the Latin American liveness of his vocals or the quick, unpredictable intricacy of his compositions - Rupert Bottenberg, Montreal Mirror His mixture of flamenco, Latin, African and Arab influences blazed like a raging bonfire on a cold night. - James Reaney / London Freepress |
About the artists:
Juan Carranza was first introduced to flamenco as a teenager in New York City when he met a gypsy musician who taught him a complex guitar technique known as rasqueado. This chance meeting ignited Carranza's passion for flamenco and eventually prompted him to seek the life of a traveling musician.
Returning to Costa Rica, his country of origin, Carranza lived on the beach while performing in bars and restaurants. His travels took him throughout Central America, Mexico and Europe including Germany, Holland and Spain.
Along the way, Carranza learned from encounters with other flamenco players and gypsies and honed his skills as a musician. Over the years, Carranza has developed a highly percussive right hand strumming technique which reflects the influence of Latin American rhythms and his role as a soloist and improviser.
THE BAND
Juan Miguel Medina Flores: cajon, darbouka, djembe
Originally from Mexico, Miguel studied percusion and composition at the M. Ponce Center for musical studies at the cultural institute of Aguas Calientes and with Nestor Vasquez, first percussionist of the Aguas Calientes Symphonique Orchestra. In Montreal since 2001 he has participated in concerts with Mruta Mertsi's contemporary ensemble, has worked on compositions for Lauren Deglio.s choreography's (Tangente) and works at the Jean-Pierre Perrault foundation and at the dance faculty at Concordia University. Miguel has been working with Juan Carranza since June of 2002.
Paul Mattsson: fretless electric bass and upright acoustic bass
Born in Montreal, raised in Argentina, Paul is currently a student of McGill's jazz faculty. He combines his knowledge of jazz, latin, and modern music, applies it to flamenco and strengthens the fusion of the different elements of the ensemble.
Rae Bowhay: flamenco dance
With more than ten years of learning and stage experience, Rae has worked equally on choreography and presentations in; Quebec, Alberta, and Los Angeles. It's been six years that her work has been orientated towards the development of a new style that combine qualities found in both art forms.
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