Juan Carlos Martín
Guadá (Miltitrack Estudios, 2004)
Composer Juan Carlos Martín creates a rich mosaic of sounds inspired by the folk
music of the Canary Islands. Sometimes he utilizes a classical orchestra, or a
choir. Other times he uses a jazz ensemble with Latin beats, accompanying a
singer-songwriter. Traditional folk dances and melodies from the islands of
Tenerife and El Hierro, such as the seguidilla, folías, tango herreño and arroró
(lullaby), are transformed into chamber Latin jazz. One could find Paul Winter influences in the music of Juan Carlos Martín. This
wouldn’t be surprise as Winter has strong following in Spain.
In addition to jazz and classical musical instruments, Martín uses local
instruments such as the timple (a close cousin to the Portuguese cavaquinho and
the Hawaiian ukulele) and Canarian percussion.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
