Today we’d like to introduce you to Jose Luis De la Paz.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I came to Miami from Spain, where I had basically developed my career as a soloist and composer after working alongside the great figures of Flamenco music from my earliest years.
As an emerging artist, I was recognized with various National Awards in Spain for my performances, including the Giraldillo de Sevilla.
By 1995, I was among the artists included in the book Agenda Flamenca by notable musicologist Felix Grande as one of the ten best guitarists of my generation.
During those years in Spain, I was honored to accompany great figures of Flamenco, from singers (cantaores) and dancers (bailaores) who helped me to grow in all disciplines of Flamenco music.
After composing music for almost 10 years for the Cristina Hoyos Company, my own curiosity and need for growth as a musician brought me to the US in 2011.
Arriving in Miami, I began to surround myself with a multicultural context that allows me to create new ties with other musical styles, from the world of Flamenco to the world of composition and musical production as I create new works.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I can’t say that it’s been a smooth road. The music industry is in a very difficult moment of rapid economic and technological change, especially the shift to self-production paradigms.
As an independent artist, one of the challenges that I’ve met is my own encounter with today’s multiplicity of cultural perspectives. For example, Flamenco as a genre in the United States is little known. I’ve had to reinvent myself in a bare-bones manner to communicate directly with my audience.
The process led me to find ways do this without leaving behind my Flamenco roots and sound. I think this has transformed me into a global artist. My current album Introspective (2020) is the result of these last few years of cultural dialogue.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
In my case, I don’t give importance to virtuosity because I always had ease with my playing. At this point in my career, I try to enjoy any setting, large or small, and to savor my self-encounters in the process of composing. I think my discography and collaborative trajectory has shown my unique flexibility as an artist.
During my time in the US, I’ve collaborated with artists from many styles and roots, from classical to rock. My capacity to bring the guitar to any context, and to integrate into any style while maintaining my personality allows me to remove Flamenco as a “last name” and simply present myself as a complete world artist.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs, or other resources you think our readers should check out?
La vieja Sirena by Jose Luis Sampedro Meditations by Marco Aurelio
Contact Info:
- Website: www.joseluisdelapaz.com
- Instagram: @joseluisguitar
- Facebook: @joseluisguitar
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/JoseLuisdelaPaz
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.
com/artist/ 3jtwJddFiQJMwoDZUY0s9o
Image Credits
J.M. Alconchel
