Robert Michaels

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Cubamenco
Robert Michael
By Classical Editor and Jazz contributor, Rob
Tomaro
Roll Over Beethoven: Finding the new
Mojo in music
The new mojo (the magic touch, the new
meaning) can be found in the work of artists
who are trying to break through cultural
boundaries to create a new form, a real
World Music, who harvest the best that
world culture offers in search of something
not heard before.
Canadian guitarist Robert Michaels does that
on his new CD "Cubamenco", a word he's
coined to describe a blend of Cuban and
Flamenco music. Cuban music, which has
enjoyed a new prominence since the release
of the documentary ‘the Buena Vista Social
Club,’ is culled from several streams of Latin
American folk music. Flamenco, the Spanish
gypsy dance form, is laced with the
haunting minor modes of the Moors, who
swept up from Morocco into Spain in the ninth century. The confluence of these two traditions gives rise to
a new, fertile sound.
The ten original pieces offered here take shape around the playing of the composer, which draws you in to
its own world. There is something compelling about fingers plucking the classic guitar. They can literally
tug on your heartstrings, casting a spell, whispering things into your ear that are best heard at four in the
morning.
Michaels' playing is, at turns, tender and vibrant, sensuous and magisterial. His solos, which blend
spontaneity with a sure sense of direction, resonate with the influence of the Andalusian "flamencos" like
Paco de Lucia and the Latin masters of the cuatro, an indigenous cousin of the guitar.
The studio ensemble is stellar. Mayito Delmonte's percussion is crisp and never intrusive. Bassists Juan
Pablo Dominguez and Yoser Rodriguez lay down a backdrop so full that one does not miss the piano, which
is wisely left out of this recording, creating a tonal space filled with a panoply of new colors.
Eric Soosat's cameo appearance on the fretless bass on "Zumba" reminds us of that much-missed master
of this style, Jaco Pastorius.
Each track has its own charm, but perhaps my favorites are "Remedios Para El Alma" and the title track.
Showcasing the solo guitar, they achieve a balance of harmony and rhythm while allowing a strong melodic
line to come to the fore.
“Cubamenco” gets four out of five stars, and is a happy addition to the growing body of work that
comprises the new Mojo in music. - Cashbox(magazine)

"Michaels seemed to have such a strong impact on the audience that the entire hall at times seemed to be on the verge of rocking and rolling." ---BY BARBARA ZUCK
For The Columbus Dispatch



"Just playing his six-string with dazzling flourishes of macho colour and, on occasion, with alarming speed." -- Ottawa Sun

"The people in the crowd are spellbound." "...they watch him, they listen, they are caught as Michaels music travels past the neck of the guitar and creates his signature sound. A sound so intense the listeners must hold their breath." -- Toronto Star?

“It’s time you should. His name is Robert Michaels. He is incomparable. And you simply must see him.” "Every inch a dazzling guitarist." -- Toronto Sun


- Columbus Dispatch, Toronto Star, Ottawa Sun