#53- MANOLO SANLUCAR

Manolo Sanlucar, guitarist and composer, was born in SANLÚCAR de Barrameda (Cádiz), a town by the seashore, where the Guadalquivir River 'says farewell' to Andalucia. Initiated by his father "el tocador" (the guitar player) Isidro Muñoz, Manolo learns to passionately love the guitar. Very quickly, he assimilates its art and perfects it to the extent of becoming one of the best interpreters of the present time. At the age of 13, he makes his debut as a professional, and at the age of 18, putting aside the fashionable flamenco, he begins to investigate and shape his unique conception and interpretation of flamenco music, gradually reinforcing himself, not only as a privileged instrumentalist, but also as a creator. A musician from the sensitive and lively people of Andalusia, he is faithful to the cultural heritage and to the precise call of the contemporary.

Together with Paco de Lucía and Serranito, he revolutionised concert guitar playing in the twentieth century. His ability to innovate and his continuous search for new possibilities have led him to compose works that have a strong personal emphasis, which is always related to what he calls learned music, but without losing its Andalusian flavour. In fact, he was the first artist who brought flamenco to the Teatro Real in Madrid. "Fantasia" para guitarra y orquesta, "Trebujena, Medea and Soleá" -which were performed by the Ballet Nacional de España- "Tauromagia" and "Aljibe" are some of his works. Several young artists who are now great guitarists were once his protegés, like Vicente Amigo and Rafael Riqueni.

He took his first steps in music with his father, the amateur Isidro Sanlúcar, who took him to Seville when he was a boy so that he could be heard by Pepe Pinto, who recommended him to Pepe Marchena, with whom he took part in his first tour as a professional. Later, he was to accompany other artists like La Paquera de Jerez, María Vargas, Porrina de Badajoz and Agujetas. In the sixties, he joined the group of resident artists in the tablao Las Brujas in Madrid, and he recorded his first album as a solo artist. After a productive artistic relationship with Enrique Morente, when he was not yet twenty, he composed his trilogy "Mundo y formas de la guitarra" with which he reached his artistic peak. The rumba "Caballo Negro" earned him fame. As a result of this impressive trajectory he was awarded the Premio Nacional de Música in 2001.

In 1999, he recorded "Locura de Brisa y Trino", after it was unveiled in the Biennial festival in 1998, with Carmen Linares singing. He also took part in the film Sevillanas by Carlos Saura, alongside his friend Paco de Lucía. Recently, Manolo Sanlúcar has composed the music for Sara Baras' show entitled "Mariana Pineda".

Manolo Sanlucar belongs to that small group or artists upon which nobody doubts when coming to acknowledge their talent. Gifted with an exceptional musicality and a technique out of the ordinary, each of his concerts becomes a superb lesson in guitar, expertise and art..

His astonishing technique, which never loses contact with improvisation and the direct spiritual communication with flamenco style, doesn't make of virtuosity a goal in itself, but praises it to convey deep emotional qualities. In him have matured all the virtues of flamenco guitar, but without letting himself being trapped in pre-established patterns by those who deny beforehand any possibility of evolution outside the rigorous rules, and the four movements comprising "Fantasia Para Guitarra Y Orquesta" (Fantasy for Guitar and Orchestra), the best prove of the fusion without apparent effort, with naturalness and without losing the balance of two musical strands considered far apart and even antagonistic.

"Trebujena", guitar and orchestra concert in Re (D) Major, opens a new door to flamenco in the path of classical music and sets up a full composite revelation, starting from the flamenco roots.

His "Medea", composed for The Spanish National Ballet, has been all over the world gathering success in the most important venues. The melodic beauty of this work delights the Greek tragedy in all its plenitude. Over thousand performances with The Spanish National Ballet, make it be one of the emblematic work of the company. In February 2002 Manolo Sanlucar recorded a new version for concert with The Philarmonic Orchestra of Malaga.

"Tauromagia", is a musical journey that the author undertakes trough the world of bullfighting. Themes where guitars and voices (a choir of strings, metals and percussion) keep threshing, note by note, the history of the art of bull-fighting. From the birth of the bull in the meadow ('Nacencia') to the triumphal appearance of the bull-fighter through the big door ('Prince's Gate'), follow harmoniously linked the moments of hope, fear, happiness, death and glory that come into the FIESTA. It's a piece of work loaded with beauty, emotion balance and style, showing Manolo Sanlucar's maturity as composer and musician.

"Solea" was presented by first time in December 1988 by The Spanish National Ballet. Here, Manolo Sanlucar pierces deeply into the Andalusian soul by the hand of two women from the people. His narrative -now dramatic, now happy- reflects the daily life in Andalusia through a musical work where the harmony of its notes and its melodic beauty captivate from the beginning.

Classic from the interpretative stand point and great innovator in his composition, his artistic sensitivity and his precision of ideas and execution take him to the purest of the Andalusian soul, and conveys it through the guitar.

Manolo Sanlucar has paraded triumphally his art and guitar all over the world. From the Royal Theatre in Madrid to football stadiums, Sanlucar's guitar has echoed in cities of Australia, Germany, Denmark, France, Italy, Belgium, Israel, Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, USA, Tunisia, Turkey, Greece, USSR, Japan, Colombia, Sweden, Finland, Mexico, and many others, reaching more than 80 countries in the five continents.

His records have been released in Australia, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Denmark, Ecuador, France, Germany, Holland, Israel, Japan, Venezuela and USA.

He is the author of the music "La Gallarda" by Rafael Alberti, work that was performed for the first time on 20th April 1992 inaugurating the cultural activities at the Expo 92 in Seville with the participation of Montserrat Caballé, Ana Belén, José Sacristán, Ballet Lírico Nacional and direction of Miguel Narros.

On May, 20th, 1992, was the world premiere (Malaga) of his symphonic poem "Aljibe", flamenco symphony for guitar, symphonic orchestra, male and female voices and percussion. The concert was with The Málaga Symphonic Orchestra, conducted by Enrique García Asensio.

He was the Musical Director of the film "Sevillanas" by Carlos Saura.

By request of the Malaga University, he composes and interprets the soundtrack of the "La Enciclopedia Electronica De Andalucia", presented at the pavilion of Andalusia at the Expo 92.

He is also the author of the Japanese documentary soundtrack about the Romería del Rocío, titled "Viva La Blanca Paloma". The music was recorded in London with The Royal Philarmonique of London conducted by Manolo Sanlucar himself.

In November 1997 he was nominated as a member of the Real Academia Provincial De Bellas Artes De Cadiz.

In 1999 he records "Locura de Brisa y Trino" (Universal Music) with poems by Federico García Lorca, with the special participation of the singer Carmen Linares. The CD is considered one of the best musical works in the flamenco world. With this work obtains in 2000 the most important prizes granted in Spain in the field of music: National Prize of Music (Ministry of Culture), Prize Puerta de Alcalá and Prize Flamenco Hoy, granted by the National Association of Flamenco Art Critics.

Author of the musical composition and orchesation of "Mariana Pineda", ballet with scenic script by Lluis Pascual based in the work by Federico García Lorca wich premiere was at XII Bienal de Arte Flamenco in Seville (September 2002) by the company of Sara Baras.

Source: Wikipedia

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