Edwin Colón Zayas │ The Master Cuatro Player From Puerto Rico

Edwin Colón Zayas is the best cuatro player on this Planet Earth.  No one even comes close to his supernatural, and preternatural talents.  The cuatro is the national instrument of Puerto Rico and it is used very often in Jibaro ensembles.  Edwin was born on October 27, 1965 in Orocovis, Puerto Rico.  He is the eldest son of a family of five musicians.  Edwin was responsible for saving the cuatro in the 1970s and 1980s, when it had fallen out of musical favor, and its very existence was being threatened.  To listen and watch Edwin play the cuatro is pure magic.  His left hand moves so gracefully that it is almost like a dance. In this edition of Heart Of The Guitar I am featuring Edwin Colón Zayas performing in two wonderful videos.  Safe journeys to all the fans of Heart Of The Guitar, wherever you may be.

Concierto de Aranjuez │ Julian Bream

The "Concerto de Aranjuez" by Joaquín Rodrigo is probably the most well-known piece in the repertoire of the classical guitar, and has been interpreted in many different ways.  It was premiered on November 9, 1940 by guitarist Regino Sainz de la Maza in Barcelona, Spain.  The "Concerto de Aranjuez", was composed specifically for him.  In my opinion, British guitarist Julian Bream's interpretation of "Concerto de Aranjuez" is the best.  Safe journeys to all the fans of Heart Of The Guitar, wherever you may be.

Samba Triste │ Baden Powell de Aquino

The magnificent Baden Powell de Aquino, was one of the best guitarist ever to come out of Brazil.  In his guitar playing he incorporated many different styles such as the traditional Choro, Samba, Bossa Nova, Classical Guitar, and Jazz Samba.  This made him the most eclectic guitarist who ever lived on this Planet Earth.  My introduction to Baden Powell came in the very early seventies when I heard a recording of him playing "Samba Triste", which he co-wrote with lyricist Billy Blanco.  I was hooked on his music and played many of his compositions when I was an active classical guitarist in Waikiki, Hawaii.  In this edition of Heart Of The Guitar we are presenting a very early video of Baden performing "Samba Triste" live in a European concert.  Take notice of the incredible Bachian rifts that he executes in the middle of "Samba Triste".  Baden Powell ceased his earthly existence on September 26, 2000, in Rio de Janeiro.  Eu tenho muito saudade para Baden Powell.  Safe journeys to all the fans of Heart Of The Guitar, wherever you may be.

Laurindo Almeida │ One Note Samba

Laurindo Almeida was born in São Paulo, Brazil on September 2, 1917.  He was one of the very early exponents of the Brazilian Bossa Nova.  I have been a big fan of Laurindo for a long time.  He had an very light touch when he plucked the guitar strings.  His playing always seemed so magical to me.  Laurindo passed away on July 26, 1995, Van Nuys, California.  In this edition of Heart Of The Guitar we are featuring Laurindo playing "One Note Samba", that was composed by Antonio Carlos Jobim.  Needless to say, this is the best performance and arrangement of "One Note Samba" on this Planet Earth.  Enjoy!  Safe journeys to all the fans of Heart Of The Guitar, wherever you may be.

 

Milonga │ Dr. Jorge Cardoso

Dr. Jorge Cardoso is a world-class guitarist, and composer from Argentina.  I was introduced to his music by Professor Lisa Smith.  She visited me once at a hotel where I was performing and played one of his compositions for me.  That song was "Milonga".  After hearing the song I begged her for a copy of "Milonga" which she  sent to me promptly through a mutual friend.  The Milonga can refer to an Argentine, Uruguayan, or Southern Brazilian form of music which preceded the tango.  The term Milonga comes from an expression that means "lyrics".  Dr. Cardoso's "Milonga" is a work of pure genius.  It is as haunting as it is beautiful.  I never get tired of playing or listening to it.  Please click on the video widget below to experience Dr. Jorge Cardoso's exquisite performance of his "Milonga".  Safe journeys to all the fans of Heart Of The Guitar, wherever you may be.

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Paulinho Nogueira │ Master Guitarist From Brazil

Paulinho Nogueira, who was born on October 8, 1929 in Campinas, (which is located in the state of São Paulo, Brazil), was one of the greatest guitarist of the twentieth-century.  I had the good fortune to meet one of his students in 1980 when I performed at a major hotel in Waikiki.  It just so happened that I was playing "Bachianinha" which was a guitar solo composed by Paulinho, and a man walked up to me when I had finished playing the song.  The first words out of his mouth were, "My guitar teacher wrote that song."  Needless to say, we had a delightful conversion, and he told me that he would tell Paulinho about me when he returned to Brazil.  I was very surprised about a month later when I received a package in the mail from Brazil.  It contained five LPs autographed by Paulinho himself!  On August 2, 2003, Paulinho died of a heart attack at his home in São Paulo, at the age of 73.  In this edition of Heart Of The Guitar, I am featuring Paulinho playing "Samba Em Preludio" which was composed by Baden Powell and Vinícius de Moraes, and his beautiful  "Bachianinha".  Safe journeys to all the fans of Heart Of The Guitar, wherever you may be.

Classical Gas │ Mason Williams

"Classical Gas" is the dream song that every guitarist wants to learn, but it is so hard to play correctly.  It first appeared on "The Mason Williams Phonograph Record" in 1968, and has been a classic of the guitar repertoire ever since.  In this edition of Heart Of The Guitar we are featuring Mason Williams playing his evergreen classic, "Classical Gas".  Safe journeys to all the fans of Heart Of The Guitar, wherever you may be.