Flamenco Flow by Ricardo Garcia

He continued to perform both solo and with his aunt and uncle in numerous concerts throughout France and in 1988 he was chosen to represent France culturally on a tour around Uruguay and Argentina, sponsored by the Casa de America Latina.

Whilst still a student he performed in the Zenith in Paris fronting a Pat Metheny concert, which inspired him to incorporate jazz into his repertoire.

Between the ages of 15 and 18 he attended flamenco masterclasses with Merengue de Cordoba, Paco Serrano and Jose Antonio Rodrigues Munoz. His studies with his uncle and on various intensive residential guitar courses focussed heavily on classical guitar at this stage and the three cornerstones to his personal style are flamenco, classical and jazz.

Ricardo acknowledges his debt to masters such as Paco de Lucia and Tomatito, the great masters of guitar in flamenco today.

Ricardo worked in Malawi, Africa for eight years before returning to Europe and settling in Spain, in Barcelona in 1999. The years in Malawi brought him into contact with many other musicians and again widened his repertoire to incorporate African rhythms as well as Asian. He worked especially with Aaron Sangala and the late, great Tione Mwera. A creative collaboration with a sitar player, Bimal Lohd resulted in several excellent concerts. With Aaron Sangala and Bashir Sacranie Ricardo was a founder member of the group Kalulu, mentioned in The Rough Guide to Music in Africa. Both solo and in cooperation with others, Ricardo frequently performed at the French Cultural centre, The British Council and the University of Malawi.

Returning to Europe in 1999, Ricardo settled in Barcelona and continues to travel mainly between Spain, France and Scotland to perform, although he has also performed in Canada, Asia, the United States, France, Spain, the UK and Ireland in recent years. Ricardo has performed in the Edinburgh Festival for six years running and toured to Montreal and Vancouver in 2005. 2006 saw him performing on four continents, travelling most of the year. From Cambodia to Canada, Brighton to Bangkok, Montreal, Paris, Ottawa, Toronto, Winnipeg, Washington, several Scottish dates and Cape Town, South Africa.

Ricardo played a residency in New Jersey in May 2006 at The State Theatre, New Brunswick and he has expanded his links with the USA during this year, playing six shows in San Francisco in September and a series of private evenings in Washington in November, 2006.

It's been a year of sell out shows and five star reviews. He has played in schools, prisons, hospitals, community centres, performed in the Edinburgh Fringe opening party, "Lunch with the Hamiltons", participated on the CD "Set Luna" by Julia Sarr and Pat Larose with Mino Cinelu ( Ricardo says, "A dream come true!"). On the same CD as Youssou N' Dour, Jean Philippe Rykiel, Tafa Cissé and Laiti Mbaye - the launch was in Paris in November 2005.

Outreach for the Edinburgh Fringe 2006, guitar masterclasses and childrens' workshops in Cambodia - February 2006....

Already for next year there are plans for more time in Montreal, Washington, Vancouver, Assembly Rooms in the Edinburgh Fringe. Orlando in May. Further shows in Cape Town, in Cambodia, in Bangkok....

Caffè Nero has sponsored Ricardo since November 2004 in various ways and play his music regularly in over 200 cafés nationwide. He was featured artist in August for the second time.

The third CD "Flamenco con Fusion" has just been released with an official launch series of shows planned for early 2007.

Ricardo Garcia

Ricardo Garcia is a truly eclectic guitarist - his roots lie in Flamenco, but in recent years he has played Jazz, African music, collaborated with a sitar and tabla player and even worked with Scottish traditional musicians. For six years he has brought a show to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe: conceived, composed and produced as an original work for the Fringe. The fifth show was also performed in the Montreal Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver Fringes to sell out audiences and five star reviews.

Here we present an authentic Flamenco from traditional to modern, moving towards a fusion of elements from its own background (Indian, Arabic, African, South American, Caribbean ) with modern influences such as Jazz, Latin Jazz Bossa Nova, Salsa and others.

Like every other ethnic music, Flamenco is constantly developing: integrating new and unusual harmonies and structures, experimenting with different rhythm patterns, flirting with different styles.We guarantee therefore some surprises, some unexpected collaborations and some astounding fusion! It is our aim to show you something you have never seen or imagined before but never to lose the essential core: the spirit that is - FLAMENCO!

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