What does flamenco mean to me?
The biggest challenge a musician can face is to undress the music itself, to say the most by playing the least, to be able to discern what is important and what is superfluous.
In my opinion, flamenco is the essence of everything that is true to itself. Everything that does not hide, camouflage or masks its authenticity. Flamenco is a culture, is places and tradition. Flamenco is passion and technique, it’s a way of breathing, thinking and living.
I would say that any music played honestly and from the heart is flamenco. Anyone can play and be flamenco since flamenco doesn’t exclude anyone, but everyone should express it from his soul.
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.
Leonardo Da Vinci
About Vicente – Flamenco Guitarist
Vicente was born surrounded by flamenco, in a Spanish gypsy family. He learned the rhythms and codes of flamenco in meetings and parties often held in his environment. From a very young age, guitar awakened in him a great curiosity so he started playing it at the age of 11 and haven’t stopped since.
As Vicente was growing up, his thirst for learning was also increasing so He decided to study in depth flamenco and classical guitar with the guitarist Antonio Piñana (Hijo). He finished his studies at the Conservatory of Cartagena, and went to complete his studies in Cordoba at the Rafael Orozco Superior Conservatory and later at the World Music Department of the Rotterdam Conservatory (Holland). Vicente he has studied with some of the best flamenco and classical masters such as Manolo Franco, Niño de Pura, Paco Serrano, Gabriel Exposito, Paco Peña, Leo Brower, Paul Galbraith or Manolo Sanlúcar among others.
As a professional guitarist, Vicente has played as a soloist and accompanying singers and dancers at some of the most important flamenco festivals such as the Flamenco Biënnale in The Netherlands, the Festival Flamenco de Lo Ferro in Spain or the guitar concert series “Meesters op de gitaar” celebrated in the emblematic auditorium “Het Concertgebouw” in Amsterdam . He has also performed in several countries such as France, Denmark, Germany, Chile, Belgium, Luxembourg or Switzerland.
Vicente is also a contrasted composer for flamenco dance shows. His music has been danced by ballets and choreographers such as Javier Latorre, La truco, the Ballet Flamenco de Lo Ferro and La Compañía Prodigio BAF Talento.
Currently Vicente is based in the Netherlands, collaborating with different musical projects, performing and teaching flamenco as another way of transmitting this art, both online and onsite.
How do I share flamenco?
Performing
I develop and collaborate on different musical projects at an international level.
Teaching
I give flamenco guitar lessons in English and Spanish to people from all over the world. Online and in person.
