Category Archives: People

Carlos Blanco Ruiz

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Remember this guitar? https://johnguitar.com/manuel-ramirez-1911/  Well, Carlos has just used it on another recording and I have now received my copy of the cd, very nicely played and well recorded.  You can get it here although I am not sure if they ship outside of Spain.  On the same page you can download the booklet and listen to quite a few tracks.

 

Carlos Blanco Ruiz

Manuel Ramírez, 1911
Instituto de Estudios Riojanos, 2014
The Instituto de Estudios Riojanos published in 2005 the book and CD “Francisco Calleja (1891-1950): Música original para guitarra. Edición Crítica” and in 2012 a second cd “La guitarra de Francisco Calleja: nuevas obras y transcripciones”, both authored by Carlos Blanco Ruiz.
The first project contained a biography, editions of the known pieces and a cd of this music.  The second contained new music both originals and transcriptions.
We now present a third recording with music that is related to Francisco Calleja.  There are a few things that justify this new publication:
On the one hand we have the appearance of new repertoire, recently discovered.  On the other hand is the possibility of displaying the aspect of performer through Calleja’s transcriptions and other pieces which are not his but were often present in his concert programmes in his almost 40 years of performing.
  Several of them are mainstays of guitar repertoire from the beginning of the twentieth century.  Finally, but no less importantly, the possibility of studying and recording these pieces on a historical instrument, a guitar made by Manuel Ramírez from 1911 which belonged to the maestro and still retains the sound of these increasingly appreciated instruments.  The so-called historical guitars have a characteristic “spanish sound” which allow us to understand the music of the period (in which they were built) in a different way.  Our challenge was to ensure that the recording captures those special timbres in an attempt to offer a complementary vision of guitar music from the essential first decades of the twentieth century but seen through the eyes (or ears) of Francisco Calleja (from La Rioja).  LA GUITARRA DE PRINCIPIOS DEL S.XX BAJO EL PRISMA DE FRANCISCO CALLEJA was recorded in June of 2012 in Studios MECA, San Asensio and the sound technician was Javier Rojas Ruiz.

Below is a video from the recording sessions.

Antonio Marín Montero

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People from all over the world know Granada for its guitars but here in our own city, until this year we have had no official recognition.  The Granada provincial government (publishers of the guitar-makers’ book) has once again risen to the occasion.  Here is the official act during which Antonio Marín is awarded a medal by the province of Granada.  Start watching at 9:17.

Visit to Malaga

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Malaga is just over an hour away from Granada so yesterday I popped down to check out “Guitar Fair” to see if next year I should plan to go.  Very well organized and nice looking, there were two separate spaces, one for acoustic instruments and the other for electric.  I have to say I was pleased to see lots of public and a nice atmosphere.  Here is a photo of Andres Marvi in front of his stand.  IMG_4743 I am still not convinced that it is the place for fine classical guitars for a number of reasons.  The noise from the electric pavillion was such that it was not possible to try out a classical or flamenco guitar and also I am never happy to see the distinctions so blurred between guitars made in an individual shop and mass production.  There were “luthiers” who operate factories, “luthiers” who sell guitars with their own labels made by factories alongside guitar-makers who build and sign their own work.  It seems to me that the two are not in the same class and the lines should be very clear.

I happened to visit on the day that the organization was giving its awards for contributions to music and lutherie and the photo shows my first teacher José Ángel Chacón accepting his award for his work both as an educator and a builder.  IMG_4744All in all a great initiative on the part of José Luis Mármol and with luck we will see it again next year with some positive changes.

Cordoba Guitar Festival

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Cordoba Guitar Festival  This is probably the biggest and best guitar festival in the world.

I was lucky enough to be a small part of the festival when they paid hommage to Antonio de Torres and chose my Torres replica to be part of the exhibition in 2007.  There were a number of Torres originals (more than ever assembled) and even more historical guitars from around Andalucia.  Myself and two other makers were asked to present our Torres copies.  This year I will be attending once again to present “The Granada School of Guitar-makers” on July 2.  This will be a chance for the international attendees to have a look at the book and to buy it in Cordoba. 

Leonardo Guitar Research Project

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The Leonardo Project is a very necessary iniciative in tonewood investigation.  The scarcity of some traditional tonewoods and the recent legislation means that we need to educate the guitarists to accept a different aesthetic.  Most makers already agree that we can use many other wood species and still get the sound we are looking for.  “The main goal for the Leonardo Guitar Research Project is to study, demonstrate and communicate the opportunities of building guitars with non-tropical woods.”  Among many other activities the Cordefactum festival this week in Puurs, Belgium will host an exhibition and demonstrations of guitars made with non-tropical woods.  The festival itself is very interesting:  Fernando Espí will play, Daniele Chiesa will give a talk and Thomas Holt will be displaying his guitars there and he will have a copy of the book “The Granada School of Guitar-makers”  which will very shortly be available through your sheet music seller.