FlamenGrass is the name of a new group from Barcelona that blends bluegrass with flamenco, the traditional folk music from the Andalusian region of Spain. The band consists of Lluís Gómez on banjo, Carol Durán on fiddle, Javi Vaquero on guitar, and Maribel Rivero on bass.
Their debut album, Alegria, is scheduled for release on January 20, and a video for the first single is available today. It captures the band in rehearsal at Lluis’ home, running through the title track from the record, which translates in English as Joy. The song was written by Carol, who also sings, based on some tangos from Cádiz, about how important it is to enjoy life – friends, music, art – especially after these past two years of COVID restrictions.
Alegria is an interesting mix of styles, one which the band hopes will stimulate greater interest in the banjo and bluegrass performance in Spain and other Spanish-speaking nations. They certainly seem to be having fun with it, and it sounds great.
Have a look/listen…
The video was shot and edited by Oriol Forn.
The single for Alegria by Flamengrass will be available on December 21 from popular download and streaming services online. The full album releases on January 20, 2022.
