Guitar Competition Heats Up Flamenco Fest
Guitarist Misael Barraza is a performer at this year’s Tucson Flamenco Festival.
photo: Pablo Martinez
If you ask classical guitarist and local music teacher Michael Lich what is unique about Tucson’s guitar community, he will tell you that it is “arguably the best guitar city in the world.” Between having one of the highest rated university guitar programs in the country, being home to the Tucson Guitar Society and having a specialized outreach program for struggling public school students, there is a tremendous amount of passion and local talent here in the Old Pueblo.
It is with those elements in mind that the Tucson Flamenco Festival decided to establish an annual Spanish and Flamenco Guitar Competition this year. The festival’s competition features an open category for musicians of all ages specializing in flamenco and/or Spanish classical guitar and two separate divisions for youth contestants. The finalists will face off on the festival’s Sept. 19 opening night, vying for over $2,000 in prizes.
In terms of authenticity, there is no better place for this competition to be born than at the Tucson Flamenco Festival, organized by local Spanish restaurant Casa Vicente, the Spanish Club of Tucson and the Flamenco del Pueblo Viejo dance studio. Every September, part of Casa Vicente’s parking lot is blocked off, glimmering lights are strung up, and the sound of flamenco footwork emanates from this intimate outdoor affair as international and local artists alike take the stage for a uniquely Spanish experience. The four-day festival, now in its fifth year, showcases up and coming flamenco fashion designers and becomes home to exceptionally talented dancers, singers and musicians.
These artists captivate the audience by exuding the sort of passionate drama that flamenco is known for. It is just this sort of connection between artist and audience that Misael Barraza says keeps him playing and improving. Barraza, who has been playing for over 10 years and is one of the performers at this year’s festival, explains that the guitar is “a very intimate and expressive instrument” that allows for an artist to musically “expand to many different horizons.”
He believes part of the reason a guitar competition such as this is so important in promoting Tucson’s guitar community is because it allows artists to perform for a new audience, who in turn “might be inspired to hire them or simply go hear them at a different occasion.”
Michael Lich, a classical guitarist, banjo-player, arranger, composer and a faculty member at the Academy of Music and Dance of Tucson/Oro Valley, points out that it also gives some of the younger students a chance to “fine tune their skills” and “meet, jam, and exchange ideas.” He explains that “there are a lot of distractions for young musicians and this gives them something to really focus on.”
Barraza, an experienced competitive guitarist who has been one of the competition’s planning consultants, agrees that in a competitive setting musicians will spend more time preparing and the preparation “will raise the level of the performance.” In addition, he points out, by witnessing a live competition such as this, audience members may be inspired to pick up a guitar and start learning for themselves.
So what exactly will the judges be looking for at this year’s inaugural competition? Barraza would look for “a solid technical ability, but also for a good understanding of the music and its inflections.” He says it is possible to produce great music without necessarily being great technically, but “a balance between these two aspects is always present in the best guitarist.” Apart from that, he feels competitions are an excellent place to “show your personality” and would therefore value originality in any performance.
Integrating originality and dedication is what makes the guitar competition a wonderful addition, and one which will no doubt become an integral part of the festival experience. So whether you plan on discovering brand new talent, learning about Spanish culture, or are simply out to enjoy an evening downtown, the 1st Annual Spanish Classical Guitar Competition is an excellent place to start. Who knows, you might even feel inspired to start making music of your very own.
The Tucson Flamenco Festival runs from Thur, Sept. 19-Sun, Sept. 22 at Casa Vicente, 375 S. Stone Ave. Prices, times and activities vary. Details are at TucsonFlamencoFestival.com or by calling 884-5253.
The four-day festival, now in its fifth year, showcases up and coming flamenco fashion designers and becomes home to exceptionally talented dancers, singers and musicians.
From left to right, Misael Barraza, Carmen Pivlick and Milagra Weiss.
photo: Lorraine DarConte
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