guitarrísimo: Manuel Valencia
The origins of the guitar can be traced through its etymology: in Sanskrit, sitâr denotes all string instruments, whilst their Arab and Greek descendents take the names of qitara and kizára, respectively. Along both shores of the Mediterranean the instrument arrived in the courts of Spain, where it developed into the lute and the vihuela, ultimately becoming, beyond its borders, the Spanish instrument par excellence. London’s new guitar classical series, guitarrísimo, celebrates the Latin roots of the guitar, launching with a solo concert by exciting young virtuoso and rising flamenco star, Manuel Valencia, in collaboration with the London Flamenco Festival. Advance booking strongly recommended. Manuel Valencia (Jerez de la Frontera, 1984) grew up with a guitar under his arm. He studied with his uncle, Fernando Terremoto, before being recruited by Gerardo Núñez to join his ensemble, with whom he has toured internationally. A great song accompanist, Valencia has underpinned the voices of Vicente Soto 'Sordera', Manuel Agujetas, José Mercé, Pansequito, Aurora Vargas, Tomasa 'La Macanita' Juana del Pipa, Fernando Terremoto as well as newer voices like Felipa Moreno, Jesús Méndez and David Carpio. As a concert soloist he made his debut in 2010 at the Festival of Jerez, which paved the way for subsequent appearances at the Seville Biennial, the Festival de la Mistela, Mont de Marsan and Suma Flamenca. In 2014 he won the ‘Revelation Giraldillo’ of the Bienal de Sevilla “for his original contributions to traditional toque”. His first solo album is shortly due for release. PLUS Join us for a wine reception! guitarrísimo is a collaborative series between the Instituto Cervantes and the Iberian and Latin America Music Society (ILAMS). Advance tickets: £10/8 concessions On the door: £14/£12 concessions