Music
Press
José Antonio Ramos, the famous timple player of the Canary Islands, comes back to the central café in Madrid with a new single, “Jeito”. This album displays his massive ability to move people. - Nuevos Medios
He makes his own records and leads his own group of musicians from the Canary Islands and the Peninsula and updates the folkloric sounds - La Razón 17-01-2002
The “timple” player of the Canary Islands is one of the most risky musicians from and has updated his instrument, which looked a bit old fashioned. As KJ with the trikitixa, Ramos has become the new prophet of fusion jazz, working with a solid ground and a new album (Jeito). As proof we have his fantastic concerts - Guía del Ocio de Madrid 14-01-2002
The return of the “timple” player of the Canary Islands José Antonio Ramos offers the extraordinary opportunity to discover a legend of the island… …he is famous due to the fact that he has introduced the “timple” in such a bizarre scene for the music of the Canary Islands as the one portrayed by the folk Celtic sounds, flamenco or jazz - Guía de Madrid 11-01-02
If he was North American he would appear, undoubtedly, in the list of the American reviews which are published yearly with the better musicians - El País 16-01-2002
Full of talent and energy, the “timple” player of the Canary Islands belongs to an excellent group of instrumentalists, has explored new and diverse musical fields from an original folkloric education. - Batonga - Marzo de 2001
During the last years, thanks to this virtuous but humble musician, the “timple” has being developed thanks to his participation in great concerts such as WOMAD or ATLÁNTICA, and has succeeded in a way nobody could have expected. - Canarias 7 – Diciembre 1999
It is a privilege to find in the folk music scene a man who, passionately loves this traditional instrument, is extremely capable to develop it and gave it new sounds - Batonga – Abril de 2002
José Antonio Ramos takes the fantastic and deep feeling of the soul to the audience. - Week – Diciembre de 2002
The master of the “timple”. First, it was a band group instrument, but now it has acquired a more relevant role. This is due to several musicians of the Canary Islands and JOSÉ ANTONIO RAMOS is the most distinguished one - Diario de Cádiz 7-08-2002
Discography
With Trío Timple
Más que un sueño (DIVA-1990)
Tanekra (DIGITRON-1994)
Solo
Los Cuatro Gigantes (CRIN-1998)
Puntales (CRIN-2000)
Jeito (NM-2001)
Para timple y piano (NM-2003)
José Antonio Ramos Y Andreas Prittwitz (INGO-2004)
Los versos de la vida (Pedro Lezcano-José A. Ramos) (CCPC-2004)
15 años de timple (IRINA RECORDS-2005)
Música Óptica (IRINA RECORDS-2005)
Las Manos del Maestro (IRINA RECORDS-2006)
VERY JAR (New Albúm-April 2008)
Photos
Bio
José Antonio Ramos was born in Las Palmas of Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, in November 10th, 1969. At the age of nine he started his “timple” studies with Totoyo Millares. Later he continued his education in the Superior Musical Conservatory in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, in Canary Islands, studying classic guitar, but he was also interested in different folk sources such as jamming, from which, later on, he took information for use in his own way of personal expression.
He won the national prize for young Folk musicians in 1998 in Santiago de Compostela. This prize triggered the development of his career, which started with the creation of a group called TRIO TIMPLE. He recorded two albums as leader of this group, “Más que un sueño” and “Tanekra”, and travelled around every lost corner in the Canary Islands. In this stage of his work it is worth noticing the performance he gave on Canary Islands day, 1996, “Timple. El sonido de Canarias” in which some of the most notable instrumentalists and singers of Spain were invited.
After this stage with the Trio “Timple” group, he started his career as a soloist with an intense activity, giving concerts, seminars, conferences…in places in and out the Canary Islands. In this new period, and for the first time in the history of music, he made a name for an electro acoustic “timple”. It was a new project designed by him and built up by other luthiers like Jesús Machín and Juan Molina.
This period, up to now, includes four albums. He has also worked with many different artists, both in albums, more than 30, and live performances. Some of them with Carlos Nuñez, Kepa Junkera, Pedro Guerra, Rosana, Philarmonic orchestra of Gran Canaria, Mestisay, los Sabadeños, The Chieftains, Bela Fleck & the Flecktones, Jorge Pardo, Juan Manuel Cañizares, Javier Krahe, Bau, Mari Carmen Mulet, Taburiente, Javier Ruibal, Pancho Amat, Polo Ortí, Jose Manuel Ramos, Camarón de Pitita, Andreas Prittwitz, René Gonzalez…
During all his years as a professional musician, José Antonio Ramos has combined his duty as an artist of concerts, recording with his teaching career. Apart from the private classes in his own school of “timple”, he has also given several courses, conferences and seminars throughout many of the Canary Islands, Las Plamas de Gran Canarias, Mogán, San Nicolás de Toletino, Artenara, Teide, Guía, Las Breñas, Santa Cruz de la Palma, Puerto de la Cruz, Los Llanos de Aridane, Santa Brígida, Valsequillo, Arrecife…, also through several institutions such as the Superior Musical Conservatory in Las Palmas and University of Las Palmas de Gran Canarias.
One of his most celebrated works is the “Timple Imaginario”, a compilation book of specific scores for “timple”, written both in solfegge and cypher. In this book, José Antonio Ramos gathers the works he has recorded throughout his long career.
Links
