| Name:
| Ricardo Garcia
| | Skills:
| Arranger, Composer, Player, Teacher (Flamenco guitarist and classical spanish)
| | Phone:
| +44 (0)131 226 4295
| | Address:
| 15 Gloucester Place, Edinburgh EH3 6EE, United Kingdom
| | Links:
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Website E-mail | |
| | Of Andalucian origin, Ricardo's family left for France during the Franco years. Flamenco was a way of holding on to roots and the whole family was brought up within the tradition: Ricardo learning guitar from his uncle Antonio from a very young age and later performing with his aunt, Ana Maria, brothers and cousins. His mother, Maria del Carmen is an excellent singer and he accompanied her from an early age. His father, Dionisio, encouraged him and bullied him alternately as a child, making sure he practised regularly and taking the whole family back to his village near Sevilla every summer in order to experience first hand the music and soul of the region. Ricardo’s first public performance was at the age of nine and he has played regularly in public ever since. He continued to perform both solo and with his aunt and uncle in numerous concerts throughout France and in 1988 he was chosen to represent France culturally on a tour around Uruguay and Argentina, sponsored by the Casa de America Latina. Whilst still a student he performed in the Zenith in Paris fronting a Pat Metheny concert, which inspired him to incorporate jazz into his repertoire.
Eight years teaching and performing in Southern Africa followed. Returning to Europe in 1999, Ricardo settled in Barcelona and continues to travel mainly between Spain, France and Scotland to perform, although he has also performed in Canada, Asia, the United States, France, Spain, the UK and Ireland in recent years. Ricardo has performed in the Edinburgh Festival for six years running and toured to Montreal and Vancouver in 2005. 2006 saw him performing on four continents, travelling most of the year. From Cambodia to Canada, Brighton to Bangkok, Montreal, Paris, Ottawa, Toronto, Winnipeg, Washington, several Scottish dates and Cape Town, South Africa.
Ricardo played a residency in New Jersey in May 2006 at The State Theatre, New Brunswick and he has expanded his links with the USA during this year, playing six shows in San Francisco in September and a series of private evenings in Washington in November, 2006. It's been a year of sell out shows and five star reviews. He has played in schools, prisons, hospitals, community centres, performed in the Edinburgh Fringe opening party, "Lunch with the Hamiltons", participated on the CD "Set Luna" by Julia Sarr and Pat Larose with Mino Cinelu ( Ricardo says, "A dream come true!"). On the same CD as Youssou N' Dour, Jean Philippe Rykiel, Tafa Cissé and Laiti Mbaye - the launch was in Paris in November 2005. Outreach for the Edinburgh Fringe 2006, guitar masterclasses and childrens' workshops in Cambodia.
Already for next year there are plans for more time in Montreal, Washington, Vancouver, Assembly Rooms in the Edinburgh Fringe. Orlando in May. Further shows in Cape Town, in Cambodia, in Bangkok.... Caffè Nero has sponsored Ricardo since November 2004 in various ways and play his music regularly in over 200 cafés nationwide. He was featured artist in August for the second time. The third CD "Flamenco con Fusion" has just been released with an official launch series of shows planned for early 2007.
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