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Describe the atmosphere and live music at a local pub, restaurant, festival, church or temple, club night.... inspire other people to check it out!
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Musician: José León
Location: Sussex
Instruments: Vocals, Guitar, Piano
Music: Cuban and Flamenco
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 ÌýÌýListen (5'21) to José León play 'Flor de Manana'
'I've been surrounded by a rich variety of different cultures and this gave me a great love of Reggae, Soul, Latin and African music'
How I came to this music:
I was brought up in an environment where I was exposed from an early age to the Flamenco of my father's native Spain, as well as the music of my mother's birthplace India. I tried to absorb everything I heard. Having grown up in London, and spending most of my time here, I've been surrounded by a rich variety of different cultures and this gave me a great love of Reggae, Soul, Latin and African music.
I was taught and profoundly influenced by my uncle Antonio, who is a professional Flamenco guitarist. Later, I went on to study further with guitar teachers in Madrid and Córdoba. I also gained valuable experience by busking in Barcelona and spending time in India with my family. In recent years I have been increasingly drawn to the rhythms of Latin America and I'm particularly interested in the common threads between Flamenco and music from The Americas and also Africa.
Where I play:
I play as part of the Flamenco group Corazón Flamenco, which features my sister Anna as a dancer. We have performed at The Komedia and Pavilion Theatres in Brighton and at the Lewes Guitar Festival. We are due to perform soon at the London Peña Flamenca and at the All Saints in Lewes.
A favourite song:
 One song that is very close to my heart is called "El Viento", which means "The Wind". It was inspired by events on September 11th 2001 and is about loss, not only related to the victims in New York but to people suffering all kinds of losses all over the world. The chorus goes: "con el viento me acuerdo de ti...", "The wind reminds me of you". Somehow I felt very emotional when I was writing this song, and I hope this comes through in the music and singing.
My current favourite is "Flor de Manana" ("Flower of the Morning"). It's a tender song that expresses the magic of watching the woman I love as she sleeps. The lyrics describe "dreams passing across your face like ripples on water". The feeling I try to evoke is of only being able to see the surface while being aware that she is far away in another world: "White clouds in the sky blow in the winds of your dreams…" |
  
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