AMIR BESO
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AMIR BESO

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Press


"DrMusic.org"

"Coming out of Seattle by way of Sarajevo, Amir Beso has put together a guitar player’s dream set with “Fatamorgana.” Taking hints of Flamenco and Classical styles and mixing them with bits of Jazz, Folk and even Rock, Beso proves to be one of the best players this side of the Atlantic. This release was written, recorded, mixed, produced and mastered by Beso. This is an artist with many talents, and the best of them is his ability to write the magical melodies you hear on “Fatamorgana.” All of his talents come to life as he precisely picks strings that cry out with an urgency and a soul. Each song seems to have a beating heart and a personality. Surviving in a war-torn Sarajevo for many years, Beso conveys the spirit of the time through his instrument in songs like “Balkan Nights” and “Sweet Solitude.” There are so many emotions flowing through these songs, it’s difficult to finger just one or two. The solemn grace and sensitivity that emanates from “Laura’s Lullaby” and “Mikey’s Song,” are offset by the playful bounce of tunes like “Gypsyland” and “Caravan.” This is instrumental guitar music of the highest caliber." - Scott Itter


"Rambles Magazine"

"Virtuoso is a word too often tossed about lightly. But, it would not be out of place in describing this album and the Balkan-born musician whose work it represents. Amir Beso is, in the best sense of the word, a virtuoso. You don't even have to like the kind of music on his album, Fatamorgana, to admit his virtuosity. It's evident by the precise fingering and fretting that this is a skilled guitarist. It's also evident there's a recognizable talent at work when a debut album is nominated for the prestigious Independent Music Awards in 2006 in two categories. Fatamorgana offers a pleasant listening experience. It's an exotic mix -- flamenco, gypsy, Middle Eastern -- but with a modern twist perhaps owing to Beso's early immersion in metal and rock. From the title track to "Balkan Nights" and the lovely lullaby written for his wife, there's a lot of passion and just plain good listening in those 10 tracks." - John R. Lindermuth


"Unsigned Magazine"

"The music is as fascinating as the story of the musician himself, a man who somehow learned to draw incredible sounds from the guitar while surrounded by the chaos of wartime Sarajevo. There is depth to each of the songs on this CD that words can't really explain and the best I can say is that Amir Beso is easily on the caliber of Santana or Jimi Hendrix in terms of raw talent. I don't believe there's one song on this CD that you won't love." - Unsigned Magazine


Discography

CD Fatamorgana, all 10 tracks from the CD have streaming and radioplay, the most popular and best selling on iTunes are: Balkan Nights, Gypsyland, Fatamorgana and Laura's Lullaby.

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Bio

Born and raised in Sarajevo, Bosnia, Amir Beso enjoyed quite a success as a rock musician there in the early 90-ies. The war that started in 92 got him trapped in the besieged city of Sarajevo, where he continued to perform, by putting onstage an anti-war musical Hair, while at the same time fighting in the Bosnian Army. He was seriously injured in the fall of 93 and airlifted by the UN forces to Denmark. His work in Hair caught a lot of attention from US media, which in turn resulted in Hollywood film director Phil Alden Robinson's ("Field of Dreams", "Sum of All Fears") invitation to come to USA, and also in Joan Baez's invitation to perform with her at several concerts.

He moved to Seattle in 95 and wrote, composed and performed in autobiographical rock-musical "Sarajevo: Behind God's Back" which ran successfully at The Group Theatre for months. Later he founded a band Kultur Shock, but left it soon afterwards to pursue solo career, recording and performing his original instrumental acoustic music, which is often described as Balkan Flamenco. His music draws on the exotic melodies and complex polyrhythms of his homeland, seamlessly combining Gypsy Balkan tradition with ambient, jazz, classical and flamenco, all performed with a rocker’s sensibility. He wrote, produced and played all instruments on his debut album Fatamorgana, which got great reviews and a couple independent music awards nominations. This CD is the number one best seller on CD Baby in two categories, Balkan and Contemporary Instrumental. He is currently recording his second album.

He performs alone, with some use of looping devices for real-time overdubbing. His shows get received extremely well, his following is growing fast, and so is the attendance at his shows.