ASTANA – Gumilev Eurasian National University on Oct. 10 hosted an evening of Jose Manuel Cano, renowned Spanish guitar player and master of playing flamenco on guitar.
The concert programme included “Early morning in Granada,” “Streams of Alhambra,” “Hostel in San Francisco” and “Sounds of Flamenco for the Concert.”
“It was fantastic, so great to see a real maestro here in Astana. I was lucky to speak to him and his enthusiasm and passion for the music is very contagious so that we all want to learn about flamenco,” said audience member Gareth Stamp.
“I was really impressed how he held the audience and there were no spare seats. I also had the pleasure the next evening of hearing Jose Manuel Cano play the Spanish and Kazakh National Anthems on the flamenco guitar, which was one of the most amazing renditions I have ever heard – it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up – totally brilliant,” Stamp added.
Cano is the son of guitarist and teacher of Flamenco on guitar Manuel Cano Tamayo. Since his childhood he showed great interest and virtuosity on the guitar. He started to play guitar when he was five and had his first concert in Madrid when he was nine.
He started his career as a guitarist with his father, recording his first CD with him in 1974, the same year he began his solo career with the tour around Japan. Cano is also co-author of various treatises and articles on the art of flamenco, including “Flamenco History” and “The Great History of Flamenco in Granada.”
Spanish Ambassador to Kazakhstan Manuel Larrotcha introduced Cano and told the audience that Eurasian National University has long been a friend of the Spanish embassy in Astana.
“We are proud that your University accepts teachers of the Spanish language and that we have signed a Memorandum on bilateral cooperation. Today’s concert once again testifies the fruitful relations which we have been developing for many years,” Larrotcha said.
