The Blues and the Flamenco are “brothers in emotion”

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The Blues and the Flamenco are “brothers in emotion”

#5You’ve been compared with the legendary guitarists as Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Jeff Beck… From one side, it’s flattering, but from another – it’s a responsibility and a burden. How did you manage that?
– I’ve never copied anyone. I can’t even copy myself! When I play my solo, I have difficulties to remain true to my own musical notes that I’ve written! It doesn’t matter when it’s a melody in question – that’s easy – but when we talk about the solo parts – everything is different. I admit, I’ve been influenced by great musicians as Hendrix, Jeff Beck…, but, I persistently try to be my own self in music. I let my own feelings to flow upon the melody. That’s my passion and my need to constantly follow my heart.

#6A great role on your career as acknowledged latino-blues musician, was your meeting and your collaboration with the legendary Carlos Santana. How did the collaboration with him took place?
– Our bonding began somewhere in the season 1993/94. Somebody sent to him a tape with latino-music, and he listened to the songs. Only few months later, Jorge Santana called my mother and said to her that Carlos loved my song. He asked for approval to record it for their album. That was it. My mother told me that Santana wants to record my Latino Blues. I couldn’t believe. I was so proud. I knew that something amazing happens in my life. For me, Carlos Santana was like Jimmy Hendrix, someone upon I look with the greatest respect. The Master of Masters. The Icon.

#7What was your thoughts, when, side by side with Santana, you stood in front of the audience at the stage?
– That’s something words couldn’t even closely express. The Santana Brothers‘ album appeared somewhere in 1994. I heard it’s published and I went to the music store and bought it, although I still couldn’t believe – as a little child – that “this is really happening”. I took the album in my hands, I slightly checked the back-cover of the album, and I saw my song there. I was simply stunned. Then, an overflow of enchantment poured all over me! I simply got out of my skin by happiness! But, besides all that, it took two more years before I personally met Carlos. That happened in Paris, in 1996. I went to their concert especially, although immediately before that I had a concert in Montrey with Little Richard and Zuccero. Jorge and Carlos invited me behind the stage in order to meet me. Carlos waited for me at the wardrobe’s door and even at the start of the conversation he talked to me as we know each other for a quite long time. As we are some old friends. Then he told me that he would like to play with me that evening. He gave me one of his guitars, and… And even after evening ended, I became aware that I played with the legendary Carlos Santana!

#8Here in Skopje, with you came Devon Allman, the son of another great musician – Greg Allman, the vocalist and the keyboard player of the famous Allman Brothers Band. What can you say about the collaboration with him?
– For this latest album of ours named Love Union Peace we really gathered some strong team of great musicians. In the band that entered the studio in Memphis, Tennessee, were Jack Bruce from Cream, then Glenn Huges, once in Deep Purple, and Devon Allman, the guitarist with who we played on many club performances. We really enjoyed making this album, and here we continue with that fine collaboration. It’s just a pure pleasure to perform with this young fellow, and I’m glad that our collaboration continues although he already has a band of his own, and he’s just about to record a new album.

#9Can you, in brief, reveal your future plans?
– I’ve always had only one, and sole plan from the beginning until now: to play guitar, to improve myself in it, and to make concert all around the Globe. Now, I have to make some new songs. After that, trip to studio to record it. And I wish to make a DVD edition with our live concerts. I think that will be the thing we’re going to focus more aggressively now…

Translated by: Petar Volnarovski

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www.vargasblues.com

2018-08-21T17:23:19+00:00 September 1st, 2005|Categories: Reviews, Sound, Blesok no. 44|0 Comments