Guitarra del Fuego
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 4.8
Backroads Music
Third time's a charm for this dazzling guitarist who fires up all strings attached on Guitarra del Fuego. At once a classical virtuoso, ambient visionary & pop musician of great warmth & feeling, he enchants with compositions flowing effortlessly from his nylon strings skillfully accompanied by keyboards, percussion, bass, rhythm guitar and occasional violin or flute. His music is beautiful, accessible and soft in spite of its fiery flair. The occasional gypsy violin and passionate, precision-packed rhythm section add up to dream-like visions and fantasy-laden romantic themes which are nicely offset by the fast-paced flourishes blazing from Linstead's well-tempered guitar. Modern and well polished, filled with contemporary arrangements and even a bit jazzy in parts, it retains all the freshness and soul of a musical language spoken through acoustic guitar. While occasional melancholy and pathos pull on the sensitive heartstrings of the listener, this music is brimming with life, joy and happiness. The charts are stacked with odds-on favorites and bigger names, but Linstead is the sure-fire long shot to nose ahead in the race for nouveau flamenco glory. Lloyd Barde, Backroads Music - Heartbeats Catalog
Midwest Record Recap
With a solid sales base going into his third outing, Linstead turns it up a notch to take a stand thank knocks off all comers to the flamenco crown. Bringing in a full crew to underscore his pyrotechnics, Linstead never fails to impress on this set loaded with depth and diversity that isn’t on board just for the sake of it. A winning combination at every turn, this is a sure bet for guitar fans to love and spread the word about. Hot stuff. Chris Spector, Midwest Record Recap
Nexus Magazine
Fresh from two previous album successes with Sol Luna Tierra and Kiss the Earth, Johannes Linstead now has progressed to his third release. Guitarra del Fuego features flamenco/gypsy sounds with percussion back-up on several tracks. The album contains a number of faster-paced “nouveau flamenco” glory tracks and some beautifully tender, romantic pieces. Johannes is a celebrated and passionate player, expressing the joy of life in every track. Excellent album. Richard Giles, Nexus Magazine
New Age Retailer
Pack your bags and get ready for a trip to the sun-drenched Mediterranean. Guitarra del Fuego, Johannes Linstead’s latest album, sounds like the soundtrack for a long, leisurely tour along the Côte d’Azur. With sales of his first two Real Music releases – Sol Luna Tierra and Kiss the Earth – having exceeded 100,000 units, Linstead clearly has struck a popular chord with his fresh brand of acoustic, contemporary flamenco stylings. Danceable rhythms and gorgeous melodies are woven on the delightful Guitarra del Fuego. Sensuous, sophisticated nouveau-flamenco guitar riffs flow like sangria, and Latin trumpet blows musical kisses sweeter than wine. A stellar group of 12 musicians contributes to the fun. Linstead composed, arranged, recorded, and mixed all the music, and he plays guitar, piano, keyboards, shakers, palmas, and percussive effects. The other musicians add tons of percussion, guitars, bass, vocalizations, trumpet, and violin to this delightful music fest. Linstead’s fully realized vision of lushly romantic nouveau-flamenco music is the happy result of the collaboration. Guitarra del Fuego is one of the loveliest musical experiences of the year. Steve Ryals, New Age Retailer
Music Design In Review
Those who like their flamenco music without fancy flourishes and heavy ethnic influences will find a lot to enjoy with Guitarra del Fuego from Johannes Linstead. Dubbed “nouveau flamanco,” the music has a sense of fluidity, never dispruptive or jagged, just smooth tropical melodies preformed in a very accessible, pleasing fashion. The tracks range from upbeat selections like “Mango,” and energetically charged mariachi florr-filler, to slower, mood- enchancing pieces like “Illusion,” whose bittersweet air seems perfect for a moonlight waltz. Easy on the ears and at a times appropiately stirring, Linstead’s lastest has the right amount of elegance and emotion to give Ottmar Liebert serious competition. Music Design Music Design