A catalan duo renews the flamenco tradition.
Two catalan innovators will be visiting Riksscenen and Oslo World this year. The lauded guitarist Juan Ignacio Gómez Gorjón is known to flamenco audiences around the world as “Chicuelo”. The pianist Marco Mezquida has been voted Musician of the year by Association of Jazz Musicians and Modern Music of Catalonia four times. The collaboration between the two musicians have resulted in two critically acclaimed albums and concerts on stages like Kölner Philharmonie, Tokyo Jazz Festival, Wiener Konzerthaus and Auditori de Barcelona. Their last album, “No hay dos sin tres” won the “Premi Ciutat de Barcelona” and has garnered raving reviews from all over the world.
The blend between jazz and flamenco is not new in itself. This way of renewing the genre has become part of the flamenco tradition. Spanish music is rife with different forms of flamenco fusion. Mezquida and Chicuela follow in the footsteps of trailblazers like Camilo and Tomatito, but put a personal touch on it. The music is filled to the brim with fresh ideas, performed to perfection. Pop harmonies and classic balladry is joined together in a way that feels brand new. The most significant aspect of their magic might be the lowkey playfulness - the overkill which characterizes many fusion outfits is traded for loose percussive backdrops and ample room for playful flights of fancy.
The concert is supported by the Spanish Embassy in Norway and the Institut Ramon Llull.
