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Interview: Manuel Barrueco (classical guitarist)

MB-David Thompson 1Aural States: What is your musical background like? You started early and aggressively while still living in Cuba. What encouraged you to pursue music for a life and guitar in particular?

Manuel Barrueco: I have a couple of cousins that have worked in music, but nobody as a career. I certainly didn’t come from a musical family. My family never played classical in the home. But you know, Cuba is a very musical country. Anywhere you go, you are gonna see people dancing and playing music. Generally Cuban and Latin American popular music.

There is a form of Latin American music that interests me called trio. 3 guitar players, all singing in harmony. My family loved that kind of music and it has influenced me a lot.

The whole thing is romantic and beautiful, even its appearance. But for me, and I think most people, it’s usually the sound of the instrument that drew me to the guitar. The big figure at the time was Segovia. He was famous for his sound. Read the rest…