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Click
here to see photos
from the concert at Lewes
Guitar festival.
Jorge Prado plays on Emilio's latest recording. |
| Here is the introduction written by the flamenco critic Miguel Angel Gonzalez : |
The
presentation
of Emilio
Maya's first
CD, "Temple",
which took
place officially
at the International
Festival of
Music and
Dance in Granada
2004, is a
cause for
rejoicing
for fans of
flamenco guitar.
Emilio Maya
is an excellent
guitarist,
practically
self-taught,
though, of
course, his
studies have
been influenced
by such revolutionary
personalities
of flamenco
music as Paco
de Lucia and
Manolo Sanlucar.
Emilio has
enjoyed much
success in
and outside
of Spain,
notably accompanying
singers such
as Enrique
Morente, Carmen
Linares, Estrella
Morente and
dancers such
as Antonio
Canales, Anna
Cali and Juan
Andreas Maya,
among many
other figures
of the genre.
He has also
demonstrated
his versatility
alongside
the mythical
Miles Davis
in a documentary
for the BBC.
Emilio Maya's
playing has,
in the opinion
of the signatory
of these lines,
a personality,
a distinctive
stamp that
makes it unmistakable:
a clean sound,
perfectly
matching a
deep purity
with a rare
eclecticism.
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  Emilio
Maya was born in
the Granada village
of Molvízar
to a Gypsy family.
At the age of 8
years he began to
play guitar and
at 12 he won first
place at the Flamenco
festival in Lanjarón,
where he was the
youngest guitarist.
In 1980 he began
to play in Flamenco
clubs throughout
Andalusia, accompanying
various flamenco
dancers and singers.
In
1984 Emilio moved
to Seville, and
joined the company
of Curro Vélez
in El Arenal, sharing
the stage with artists
such as Carmen Montoya,
Lalo Tejada, El
Lele, Juan Manuel
Flores, El Toro.
In 1987, Emilio
collaborated with
the celebrated jazz
percussionist Frank
Holder, which led
him to play alongside
the group Fairport
Convention at the
Royal Festival Hall
in London. Emilio
also collaborated
with the director
Manfred Wafender,
for his film about
the music of Miles
Davis, for the BBC.
In
1990, Emilio formed
his own group ‘Grupo
Maya’, which
performed at the
Teatro Isabel La
Católica
in Granada alongside
such great artists
as José Mercé,
Aurora Vargas, Juan
Habichuela, etc.
From this moment
on he began to tour
more and more outside
of Spain, performing
with Nono García
in France, Belgium
and Holland, and
becoming known as
one of the most
respected flamenco
guitarists of Andalusia,
collaborating not
only with flamenco
artists but many
other styles of
music, Arabic, Jazz,
classical.
In 1997 he accompanied
the great flamenco
artist Enrique Morente
to celebrate the
centenary of the
birth of Federico
García Lorca. Meanwhile
his own group 'Grupo
Maya' was also performing
at the International
Festival of Music
and dance in Granada.
Other
collaborations include
accompanying the
flamenco singers:
la Nitra, Chonchi
Heredia, Estrella
Morente, Marina
Heredia, and dancers:
Juan Ramírez,
Juan Andrés
Maya, Ana Calí
y Fuensanta La Moneta.
Abroad he has performed
in Brazil with the
dancers Antonio
Canales and Juan
de Juan on their
2001 tour.
Demonstrating
a flair for music
outside of flamenco
he has worked with
the jazz artists
Jorge Pardo, the
percussionist Rubén
Dantas, la Orquesta
Andalusí
de Tetuán
from Morocco and
the Orquesta Andalusí
from Tangiers, and
performed at the
Institute of Arab
Studies in Paris
with whose collaboration
he made the CD “Al
Kantara”.
In
2003 Emilio performed
at the Flamenco
Fería in
Sevilla and the
Flamenco Festival
in Granada with
the group ‘Los
Faraones’
which included several
singers from his
own group, Victor
El Charico, Antonio
Campos and Juan
Angel ‘El
Tirado’ who
would go on to colloborate
with him on his
album which he began
recording that year.
His producer Harold
Burgon had already
worked with such
flamenco artists
as Enrique Morente
and his daughter
Estrella with whom
he recorded tracks
for her albums ‘Mi
cante y un Poema’
and ‘Calle
del Agua’.
Harold Burgon had
also produced the
CD ‘Cale Calé’
(Gypsy Rhythms)
with both Emilio
Maya and Enrique
Morente as guest
artists. It went
on to win the National
Critics Award for
best flamenco percussion
album 2002.
Alma
100 Julio/Agosto
2004 Javier Primo
"The Granada guitarrist
Emilio Maya decided
to record his first
album after a long
career accompanying
singers (Enrique
and Estrella Morente,
Carmen Liñares)
and dance (Canales
and Juan Andrés
Maya). The result
is eight of his
own compositions
cleanly and eloquently
executed, especially
my favourites, the
evocative minera
and the Rondeña
where he is accompanied
by cello. These
tracks are the most
pure guitar on the
recording, along
with the Zapateado,
accompanied by the
dance of Ana Calí,
and the Bulería,
'La Fuente'. In
the Rumba, the Tangos,
the Alegrias and
final Bulería he
is accompanied by
bass guitar and
the singing of his
fellow Granadinos
among them Marina
Heredía, her father
'El Parrón', El
Tirado and El Charico.
An honest and interesting
disc, an independant
production that
shows the efficient
production of Harold
Burgon"
Jorge
Fernadéz Bustós
Granada Hoy 29/11/04
"One of the great
guitarrists from
Granada"
Norberto
Torres Cortes El
Olivo Enero 2005
"Temple is a dignified
and sincere recording,
where Emilio Maya
presents his unique
style of playing
and his own sound,
crystal clear arpeggios,
strong rasgueados,
great Gypsy flamenco
of the Sacromonte......
Temple expreses
without fail the
relaxed yet fiery
flamenco style of
Emilio Maya, with
the unmistakable
print of flamenco
in Granada today."
Juan
Vergillo, Diario
de Sevilla 26/10/04
" A solid, serene
style but also modern
flamenco.... played
not only with ability
but also with conviction.
In the 'minera'
which gives the
album its title,
he demonstrates
his excellent technique
and his love for
the classic fine
tailored melody"
Juan
Pinilla. La Opinón
de Granada "Emilio
Maya is one of the
top guitar accompanists
in flamenco today
"
Luis
Fernandéz www.jondaweb.com
"The first time
I heard Emilo play
I was fascinated.
It was at the National
Flamenco Congress
in Córdoba and he
played a 'rondeña'
de solista. Una
rondeña muy sencilla,
recuerdo, tocando
con mucho gusto
y un sonido precioso
sin saturar la guitarra.
No hay más que decir,
a escucharlo inmediatamente.
"
Jorge
Fernadéz Bustós
Granada Hoy 13/11/04
"This is his first
recording as a soloist,
but his wealth of
knowledge and experience
means that he has
created a CD of
the highest standard....
the Minera that
gives the disc its
name 'Temple', along
with the zapateado
Tacones De Plata,
are simply delicious
."
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In
August 2004
Emilio Maya
performed
at the Lewes
Guitar festival
alongside
the dancer
Ana Calí and
the musicians
who had recorded
his CD 'Temple'.
Emilio also
performed
at the Autumn
Festival of
Flamenco in
Granada both
as a soloist
and with the
Morrocan group
'Chekara',
Orquestra
Andalusi.
He also appeared
at the Granada
Festival of
Jazz, playing
with jazz
trumpeter
David Defries.
In
January 2005
he returned
to the UK,
performing
with his group
at Nottingham
Arts Centre
and Brighton's
Komedia, selling
out all three
performances.
In the summer
of 2005 he
joined Mario
Maya's company
for their
sell-out season
at the Alhambra
with 'Amargo'.
2006
saw Emilio
performing
in Korea with
'Tres Guitaristas
de Granada'.
He also performed
in Mexico
as a solo
guitarist
and took his
group 'Maya'
to Slovakia
and Belgium.
In
2007 alongside
the acclaimed
dancer Juan
Andrés Maya
and his dance
company performing
in the shows
'Furia Maya',
'Pasión' and
'Renacimiento'.
Plans
for 2008 include
performances
in Paris in
January and
February,
recording
his second
album with
Andalamusica
and a return
trip to Slovakia.
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