Efrén López was born in Manises, Spain in 1972. He is one of the founders of L’Ham de Foc. After collaborating in a wide number of musical projects as a guitarist, he started getting into traditional music. As a session musician he has recorded in more than forty different projects of various musical styles: early music (Capella de Ministrers, Aman Aman, Oc, Maria Laffitte, etc.), folk (Sabir, Malaguero, Cendraires, Al Tall, El Cau del Llop, etc.).
Little by little, he moved away from the guitar to focus mainly on Mediterranean double-string instruments and Medieval music. With this type of instruments he has done works for advertising, documentaries, short films, poetry readings, puppet shows, street theatre, and intensive courses.
He has done artistic productions for various bands and singer-songwriters. He has studied hurdy-gurdy through intensive courses with Pascal Lefeuvre, Maurizzio Martinotti and Nigel Eaton. North Indian music with Krishna Mohann Batt and Ajoy Chakrabakti, sitar with Sazed Ul Alam, rabab and music from Afghanistan with Daud Khan and Ustad Mohammed Rahim Khushnawaz, ud with Necati Celik and Yurdal Tokcan, and saz with the Crete based Irish musician Ross Daly and the Turkish masters Erol Parlak and Mehmet Erenler.
Efrén combined his activities with L’Ham de Foc with the early music band Capella de Ministrers, with whom he has performed throughout Spain, Italy, France, Morocco, Egypt, Croatia, Portugal, and has recorded several albums, including Trobadors, Llibre Vermell Montserrat, Lamento di Tristano, Misteri d’Elx and Cancionero de Palacio.
In February 2024, Efrén López presented the first volume of the Cabra project. He put together an ensemble of gifted multi-instrumentalists who revisit the folk music of various regions of Spain.
Discography:
Trobadors
Llibre Vermell Montserrat
Lamento di Tristano
Misteri d’Elx
Cancionero de Palacio
Mavra Froudia (Musiépoca, 2011)
El Fill Del Llop (Buda Musique, 2015)
Cabra, Vol.1 (2024)
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.
efrin, You are awesome! I am referring to Yoni-Ben-Dor Project 3 with Meira Segal. Would dearly love to purchase that cd. I want more of this music, as I am a Scottish bagpiper myself. Love ya’ man!
Scott Monroe
USA
Efrin and Meira, You both have captured my soul! Your music strikes a chord deep in me that I can’t explain. I want to meet you both, to be in your presance. I don’t mind saying Meira, I’m in love with you and your music- being a bagpiper myself. I’m thinking all the time about how can I get to Spain. My daughter I know would love to go being an accomplished Flamenco dancer with me. Unfortunately the way the world is today getting there is harder than ever. So, again I love ya’ both, now I need my fix of your music to get me thru the day!