- OTHER MEDIA
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- review in the SF Weekly
- by Chloe Veltman
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- Master guitarist Ricardo Garcia's show is billed as hailing from Barcelona
and Edinburgh. But unless you count the slight inflection to certain words
in the native Andalusian's speaking voice and the fact that he's just arrived
in town from the Edinburgh Fringe, there's nothing particularly Scottish
about Garcia's jubilant flamenco-based music and dance performance. This
is kind of strange when you consider that the virtuoso musician's interests
stray well beyond the borders of Spain, blending elements from cultures
as diverse as India, the Middle East, Africa, South America, and the Caribbean.
Over the course of an hour, Garcia and two dancers mix traditional flamenco
movement and sounds with styles as varied as jazz, blues, salsa, and hip
hop. The "fusion" elements of the show don't always come off:
The shotgun rhythms of the dancers' classical steps are a much more thrilling
accompaniment to the music than the corny attempts at modern choreography.
But whether attacking or caressing his guitar, paying homage to his roots
or playfully turning his back on them, Garcia displays a musicianship that's
as vibrant as it is eclectic
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