Dear friends and fans,
As you may know, last year we released the EP A Gypsy Journey Pt II: El Refugio. This EP took us over two years to complete as we were developing the songs and seeking the perfect collaborating musicians.
The theme of taking refuge, as the album title suggests, was chosen in gratitude for all the people and places that have offered us sweet refuge during the time in which these songs were composed. Jordi and I were touring a lot as these tunes organically began taking shape, and whether obvious or subtle, each piece bears a certain sense of sanctuary or longing for home. This hunger for place was filled as our gypsy travels wound down, and we realized that in addition to having fresh music to share with all of you, we had also inadvertently found ourselves a new home base in beautiful Denver, CO.
The EP’s opening track, Recuerdo a Paco, is a tribute to master flamenco guitarist Paco de Lucia, whom I had the privilege and honor to meet in the fall of 2013 after one of his shows in Mexico City. I was able to thank him personally for the tremendous impact his music has had on my life, and while I didn’t walk away with an autograph, the conversation we shared travels with me always and runs far deeper than any scrawled signature on a page. I also had the privilege of sharing my music with him; it was at once an extremely humbling and exhilarating experience.
Five months or so after that meeting, el gran maestro de guitarra flamenco died of a heart attack while playing with his son on a Mexican beach. The night I read about his passing was the eve of a major transition for El Javi, as we began a season of performances in Baja California, Mexico. The heartbreaking news sparked in me a need to honor Paco in the best way I could- through music. Recuerdo a Paco was composed as a meditation on my evolutionary journey with flamenco, beginning from the traditional roots of my studies and flowering into flamenco-rock fusion. The accompanying video portrays that personal odyssey as well in sound and image and was directed, filmed and edited by Guillermo Roqués of Valencia, Spain (http://guillermoroques.com/).
We are so proud of the final product, and we hope you love it too! We’d also humbly ask you to please take a few moments to share this video with friends who might enjoy it- via email, your preferred social media platform, or even whip out your phone at the bar or around the dinner table for a quick flamenco appetizer. Olé! Thank you so much, dear friends and fans; your continued support means the world to us!
Here is the link for sharing: https://youtu.be/rVwugmTcHFQ
Javi