Vicente Amigo

Highly respected by maestro Paco de Lucía, the next great flamenco star, Spanish guitarist Vicente Amigo has more than lived up to his promise. Following in de Lucía’s footsteps, he’s forged musical ties with artists around the world, from Sting to Brazilian masters Milton Nascimento and Eliane Elias to jazz guitar innovators including John McLaughlin and Al DiMeola. Born outside of Seville and raised in Córdoba, Amigo began working professionally as a teen, accompanying noted flamenco singer El Pele and guitarist Manolo Sánlucar, with whom he toured for six years. By the time Amigo made his Bay Area debut in 2002, the guitarist’s career was in rapid ascent. His fourth album, City of Ideas, won a Latin Grammy for Best Flamenco Album. Tierra, his seventh and most recent release, features all music composed by Amigo and arranged by him and Dire Straits keyboardist Guy Fletcher. Amigo’s performances feature pyrotechnic virtuosity, charisma and an intangible quality called duende, which Amigo explains simply: “If you hurt when you hear it, then it’s duende.” Thoughtful and introspective, Amigo pauses before putting his work as a player in a larger context. “I’m a guitarist, but I love music well beyond my instrument,” he says. “Music is my life.” This promises to be an unforgettable evening of flamenco fire as Amigo makes his Santa Cruz debut!