Trio Gitano
INTRODUCING TRIO GITANO
"Three Birmingham 19-year-olds have come together to form a guitar band. It doesn’t sound much of a story; the guitar is a popular accessory for the moody teenager of whatever age to stand behind, both as a style statement and a sonic mallet.
Trio Gitano take quiet pleasure in confounding preconceptions. Graduates of the Birmingham Schools Guitar Ensemble, they certainly have between them more than the three chords proverbially required to start a rock band.
Sophie Johnson, Sam Slater and Jamie Fekete take on the classical, flamenco and jazz repertoire with a take-no-prisoners gusto which leaves even their musical director Bryan Lester on the edge of his seat."
The Birmingham Post – July 2001
Three young guitarists based in Birmingham , England , Trio Gitano formed in early 2001, after performing together at venues such as Birmingham Symphony Hall and The Royal Festival Hall, London , with the Birmingham Schools' Guitar Ensemble.
Performing 'gypsy-influenced' music from the Spanish, Jazz, Latin and Flamenco cultures, including work from artists such as Paco de Lucia, Django Reinhardt and Paulo Bellinati, the Trio are directed by the vastly experienced and talented Bryan Lester, who writes and arranges new music and material for the group.
Since their early performances together in 2001, Trio Gitano have appeared throughout the UK at a great variety of venues - from the small and intimate 'Blue Note' in Leominster, to the 'Fireworks Fantasia' in Birmingham, before an estimated audience of 30,000. In addition to a popular weekly residency at Spanish restaurant-bar 'La Tasca', Solihull, where the group performed for over a year, Trio Gitano have played at venues including the RSC in Stratford, BBC Radio, and at the widely acclaimed 'Ty's Jazz and Spice' in Birmingham, voted by The Telegraph as one of the top ten jazz venues in the country.
Elsewhere, the Trio have also given several successful charity performances for Amnesty International and the Alzheimers' Society, and in 2002 performed at prestigious events for Birmingham International Airport , Birmingham ’s Capital of Culture Bid and the 2002 Urban Summit.
In early 2003, Trio Gitano made their London-debut in Camden Town , and followed this with several performances representing Birmingham in London for the Capitalizing on Culture campaign promoting the city. After recent appearances at the Royal Show, and the successful Fireworks Fantasia performance, the Trio are now working towards a busy schedule of performances throughout the summer of 2003, and the long-awaited completion of their debut album.
In September, they will perform for a week at the Royal Opera House, London , at the inaugural ‘Festival of Firsts’. The Trio were a main feature of Birmingham ArtsFest 2003, and they have also been invited to record and perform as part of an exciting new theatre project, 'Algulimala', directed by Barry Letts.
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