Before the planet went on lockdown, my British writer friend Claire invited some people to her home in north Marin, California, for a private concert with the world-renown, hugely talented flamenco guitarist, Ricardo Garcia. Although my friend’s home was an almost two-hour drive from my place, I grabbed the husband and kids and got my butt there.
Since we hadn’t been able to travel much in recent years, we were craving some worldly culture. Plus, I love Spanish guitar; it would remind me of the two months we spent in Barcelona and Grenada, listening to music in the streets or at cozy tablaos. I also really wanted to meet his partner, my friend’s friend, Julie Gunn, who’s a magnificent jazz-blues singer. Her social media posts of her and Ricardo’s nomadic, worldly travels as working musicians had me drooling. When I saw her posts of Collioure, France, depicting some of the same scenes we experienced when we spent a month living near that town, I took it as a sign that I had to meet this fellow global explorer.
And then she showed up in California.
The couple has a beautiful history. Julie, who is Scottish and was born in Zambia, met Ricardo while they were both teaching at the University of Malawi, she as head of the French department and he as a music and French teacher. After Julie’s two young sons (from a previous relationship) had grown the couple decided to bring their music to the world and started participating in festivals and concerts in Europe, Africa, the U.S., and elsewhere. Mostly, Ricardo would perform flamenco guitar, with or without dancers, and Julie worked as his manager, although there were occasions when the two performed together as well. In addition to concerts, they started giving workshops and are committed to giving back through their music, especially to children in Africa and the U.S., but also to communities such as those in schools, senior homes, prisons, drug rehabs, and more.
Arriving at my friend Claire’s house, we were greeted by a full spread of home-made Spanish dishes, including chicken and mushroom croquetas, buñuelos de bacalao (fish fritters, with a keto option), three types of Spanish omlette, and albóndiga (meatballs). “We’ve been in the kitchen all day,” Claire reported. Besides music, Ricardo also enjoys cooking, and he called the sangria the best this side of Barcelona.
I had the chance to chit-chat with Julie about their lives and how they came to be traveling musicians while my friend’s living room filled up. We brought the only set of kids, which meant I had to play Barbie’s on my lap a little to keep my youngest entertained, but it was worth it. Once Ricardo’s fast fingers hit the strings, every song mesmerized, intoxicated us.
Ricardo talked about coming from Andalusia in southern Spain and having been raised in a musical family. His mother sang and his uncle Antonio began teaching him guitar when he was nine. Music seemed to him like breathing air. He explained that although his music has roots in flamenco from Andalusia, with songs from Grenada, he has explored jazz, African music, and more, and has played with musicians from India, Scotland, Kenya, Cambodia, and other places.
Julie stepped in twice to sing, explaining that her roots were in jazz and blues. With a gorgeous, melodic voice, she sang one in English and the other in French.
After a break, they brought in mother-daughter flamenco dancers. The mother, Carolina Lugo, played the castanets on her fingers (she had an ankle injury, so couldn’t dance) and her daughter, Carolé Acuña, danced.
The whole afternoon was a privilege, plus we made new friends. Next time I’m in southern Spain, I hope to connect with these two super-talents.
- To experience Ricardo Garcia’s music, checkout their YouTube channel.
- To learn more about Ricardo Garcia, his music and his work, visit his website.
- For an intriguing interview with Julie about the couple’s travels, music, and the art of manifesting, check out this episode of my friend Claire’s podcast.
- For an on-camera interview with the couple, with samples of music, you can also watch this video.
Featured photo (c) 2020 by David Morris. This blog post is copyrighted (c) 2020 by Cindy Bailey Giauque and is an original publication of www.mylittlevagabonds.com. Please join us on Twitter and Facebook. Happy travels!