Guitar Spectacular at Milton Court, Barbican, London

Acrílicos en el destino (2013 and UK premiere Oct 2015) by Eduardo Martín, integrates and mixes elements from different cultures and styles. The rhythms, harmonies and sonoric atmospheres, for instance, remind us of rock, South American, and Afro Cuban music. The theme evolves and develops in and open structure where the boundaries between the classical, the folkloric and the pop culture disappear. 

Hasta Alicia baila (1991) by Eduardo Martín, is a work based on an urban musical genre that originated amongst working Black class Cubans in late 19th century. Traditionally a vocal piece accompanied by discarded furniture, glass bottles and cutlery, the most popular variation can include several percussion instruments such as congas, clave, chekeré and cowbells. 

Quintet for Guitar and String Quartet (1957) belongs to Leo Brouwer’s first compositional period (he was only 18 years old) at a time when nationalistic composers like Bartok and Stravinsky were his inspiration. Here he has employed rhythmic and melodic cells borrowed from the Afro Cuban tradition, harmonically placed within a tonal framework using a traditional classical “sonata” form.