Los Guitarristas

" A quartet that thrives in complexity". Andy Downing. Chicago Tribune. January 29th, 2010.

"Tesoros del Folklore musical de Latinoamerica en solos instrumentales de guitarra". Tele Guia Publications Inc. feb 14-20, 2010.

1st Latin traditional guitar quartet in Chicago.

Director: Alfonso Chacón

Chicago’s Premier Guitar Quartet Release Their Debut CD: “Paisajes de Sudamérica”

Guitarrists:
Daniel Gomez, Neil Dixon Smith, Rob Clearfield & Alfonso Chacón

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Who Are “Los Guitarristas”?
Los Guitarristas is a guitar quartet founded by Alfonso Chacón in 2003 in Chicago, IL. After a 40-year career in music in South America, performing with some of the greatest musicians of his generation (including Lucho Gatica, Chabuca Granda, Cholo Aguirre and el Dúo Rey-Silva, among others), the Chilean-born Maestro began a new life in the USA in the mid-1990’s. After attracting a cadre of serious students interested in learning Latin American guitar styles, Mr. Chacón decided to bring the traditions of South American guitar ensembles to his adopted city and Los Guitarristas was born as a both a concert group and educational organization. Mr. Chacon is a music pioneer in founding the 1st Latin american guitar quartet in Illinois.

Joining Mr. Chacón in Los Guitarristas is: Rob Clearfield, also recognized as a pianist in the Chicago jazz scene, a leader of his own eclectic group, Information Superhighway and a guitarist in the prog rock group District 19.; Neil Dixon Smith, a solo classical guitarist in his own right, and an electric rhythm guitarist in Chicago’s world/dance/dub/rock band Más Trueno; and Daniel Gomez, who came to Chicago from Lima, Peru to study classical guitar at Northeastern University.


What is “Paisajes de Sudamérica”?
“Paisajes de Sudamérica” is the debut CD from Los Guitarristas, released officially in November 2009. Recorded by John Abbey at New Soup Sound in Humboldt Park, “Paisajes de Sudamerica” features 10 original arrangements by Maestro Chacón, each offering a “panoramic view” of the musical traditions of each South American nation (track listings are simply “Argentina”, “Bolivia”, “Brazil”, etc.). As Director, Maestro Chacón is dedicated to more than just performing the great songs of each country, but also in using authentic regional techniques, so each “paisaje” has a genuine national feel.

But whether or not you are interested in South American music, each track is its own unique musical adventure, with shifts of rhythm and melody, blazing guitar runs, and inventive uses of guitar sound: mimicking regional instruments (such as the Bolivian charrango or Paraguayn harp), drums and even jungle sounds. Los Guitarristas hopes “Paisajes de Sudamérica” will be a great entertainment for all fans the guitar and Latin American music.