Published: Friday, 9th May, 2008 3:00pm

Strings fellow

by Lucy Crossley

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WORLD famous Flamenco guitarist Juan Martin has wowed audiences for years as a solo artist but now he tells LUCY CROSSLEY why he is joining forces with a new line up of musicians and dancers for his latest show.

AS you might expect from the man described as the world's greatest Flamenco guitarist Juan Martin is used to doing things his own way.

He first picked up a guitar at the tender age of six and since then the Andalucien native has been busy putting together an illustrious CV that includes bringing the Royal Albert Hall to its feet thanks to his solo performance of Rumba La Feria, writing the Holy Grail of guitar books; El Arte Flamenco de la Guitarra and being compared to great Spanish composers Tárrega and Turina.

But now Juan is inviting a new line-up of musicians and dancers to join in his Spanish musical celebration as he visits South Hill Park with the Juan Martin Quinteto ready to take audiences on an exhilarating journey through the great Flamenco traditions.

"Many years ago I played solo at South Hill Park", reveals Juan. "But I have never played there with my group and never in the Wilde Theatre so I am very happy to be back and very excited too.

"It's very different playing solo, it's more expressive and you are free to express yourself and your inner most feelings, but with other people taking part you find you are actually making music as opposed to just performing it."

Joining Juan and his guitar is a bass guitarist, a flautist and saxophonist, a singer and the wonderfully named dancer ‘El Tigre'. For Juan performing alongside others - particularly a dancer - is a very different experience.

"When you're playing for a dancer you follow their feet when you play because they don't follow your music," he says. "If they go fast you go fast and if they stop you stop, the guitarist has to be very alert and follow the feet of the dancer and you must not push them too fast.

"You need to have an understanding with the singer as well and find a style of playing that matches what they are singing about. You need to be very unselfish - unlike when you're playing as a soloist."

Fans of Juan's solo performances will not be disappointed however as the guitarist, who splits his time between London and his native Malaga, will start the show with just his instrument for company.

When he starts to play a traditional Moorish piece however the set will grow with the singer and dancer joining Juan and the musicians as they start to explore all facets of modern and traditional Flamenco using the different instruments to their full advantage.

"When you can form music as a group and it works the feeling it magical," says Juan. "You can't generate it."

"In Spanish we call it ‘duende' the moment when the inspiration arrives and you just suddenly take off. When that happens it's the greatest feeling, it's better than any drink or drug."

Bracknell is a long way from Barcelona, the Basque country and the Balearic Islands but Juan is adamant that unfamiliarity with Spanish music is no reason to miss out on his exhilarating performances.

"Flamenco can be quite complicated," he says. "And anything that is a little complex people can think ‘I don't understand this, it's not my culture.'

"But we are living in a world now where music can cross boundaries as we all become part of a more multi cultural society. It's a transitional period for music but it's a very exciting time with all these different traditions and religions starting to come together."

Juan Martin Quinteto Fabuloso & Flamenco Dance is at Bracknell's South Hill Park on Wednesday, May 14 at 8pm. Tickets are £17.50 from 01344 484123 or www.southhillpark.org.uk