Victor Herrero

Spanish guitarist Victor Herrero collaborates with Liverpudlian fiddle player Mikey Kenney for a rare duet outing across the UK. VICTOR HERRERO Initiated in music in his childhood at the Escolanía del Valle de los Caídos. In this abbey, the Benedictine monks taught Víctor Herrero (Madrid, 1981) Gregorian chant and Mozarabic music, as well as classical music and polyphony. It was also there where he began to study classical guitar as his main instrument. In his adolescence, Victor led for eight years a psychedelic rock band "Cicely" formed in his town of Torrijos (Toledo). After this period with this band he will release his first solo album ?Connotations for Piano? (Factoría Autor, 2006), an album of songs for piano written and performed by him under the nickname ?Víctor Cicely?. Shortly after, Víctor meets his musical partner, the US American artist Josephine Foster, collaborating with her since then live and in the recording of her albums. On albums like "This Coming Gladness" (BóWeavil Recordings, 2008), "Blood Rushing" (Fire Records, 2012), "I'm a Dreamer" (Fire Records, 2013), or "Faithful Fairy Harmony" (Fire Records, 2018). In 2009 Bo?Weavil Recordings, UK publishes Víctor Herrero's second solo album ?Anacoreta?; a collection of instrumental songs written and performed by him on the Spanish guitar. In this project Víctor combines different styles that have been part of his career, from the classical and folk world to contemporary music, all of them under the strong influence of traditional Andalusian music. In 2010 the English label Fire Records released ?Anda Jaleo?, a project of the ?Josephine Foster & Victor Herrero Band?; folkloric band formed together with Josephine, and that has the musical collaboration of his brother José Luis Herrero and José Rico. ?Anda Jaleo? is a set of traditional Spanish songs compiled and harmonized by Federico García Lorca in 1930. The poet's piano arrangements, and his recordings with La Argentinita serve as inspiration for the recording of this new version made by Víctor and Josephine . With this same band in March 2012 Fire Records released ?Perlas?, a new collection of popular Spanish songs. This collection includes traditional and original songs, arranged and composed byJosephine and Víctor. In the summer of 2012, the Foehn Records label in Barcelona released ?Tiempo para la Cosecha?, an album by the group ?Viva?, a new project created by Víctor with the San Sebastian musician Israel Marco (Cuchillo) and the Togolese percussionist Gamal Seya. The songs on this album are based on traditional African polyrhythms. In spring 2013 Víctor Herrero publishes his third solo album ?Estampida?. A set of songs influenced by Ibero-American music and poetry. This album is released in Spain by Foehn Records and in Japan by Windbell Records. Since 2016 he has frequently collaborated with the well-known Italian artist Vinicio Capossela, accompanying him as part of his live band and recordings. At the beginning of 2017 the North American label Feeding Tube Records will release his fourth solo album ?Astrolabio?. An instrumental and experimental album on the Portuguese guitar. In 2021 El Volcán Música (ESP) publishes his four solo album entitled ?Hermana?, a collection of evocative songs on classical guitar and voice, produced by Tobias Levin, the album has as its theme the sister that Víctor never had. Since 2021 he collaborates and accompanies the renowned Spanish artist Lorena ?lvarez on a permanent basis, in live performances and recordings. In 2023 Víctor releases his last record ?Pajarito Negro? published by Portuguese label Tras-Os- Montes Records. A collection of romantic songs accompanied by string arrangements. An album recorded between Portugal and London in pandemic times featuring musicians of fiddle tradition. During the last years Víctor has been involved in different projects and trips. Touring, recording or performing with artists like; Josephine Foster, Michael Gira, Keiji Haino, Luzmila Carpio, Damien Rice, Vinicio Capossela, Lucrecia Dalt, Baby Dee, Master Musicians of Joujouka, Shahzad Ismaily, Lorena ?lvarez, Sonny Simmons, Abdellah el Gourd, Josefin Runsteen, Ed Askew, Alasdair Roberts, Mikey Kenney, Eric Chenaux, Paz Lenchantin, Gyda Valtysdottir, etc... "The guitar has always occupied a special place in Spanish music - namely in flamenco, where players often perform with complicated and acrobatic techniques. But Madrid-born Víctor Herrero rose to prominence lending the Iberian guitar new, contemporary meanings. Sometimes preferring to keep his playing simpler and focusing on the stories he tells - channeling a kind of Spanish-speaking Dylan. He is, however, so much more than that and has also demonstrated he can sonically travel to both Africa and South America too, just by a flick of the finger." MIKEY KENNEY Mikey Kenney is an original. A passionate and well-respected advocate for traditional music ? a brilliant Liverpool-style fiddler drawing primarily on his native North West English and Irish heritage ? but grounded in a present-day, urban reality. He is a musician with wide-open horizons and insatiable curiosity for new possibilities. As evidenced on his latest album, The Reverie Road (Penny Fiddle Records), Kenney?s songwriting is both adventurous and earth-bound, with his high lonesome voice exploring sun-drenched Italian vistas, dream worlds and sounds of the city. With a reputation for both making quality music and producing wondrous flourishes of creativity, Kenney is also a multi-talented and in-demand collaborator, including with band Of Burns as well as playing with BBC 6 Music favourite, Alabaster DePlume and Italian singer-songwriter, Vinicio Capossela. Mikey is also Musical Director of the Lancashire Youth Folk Ensemble. ?Mikey Kenney is an artist for whom music is a calling, not a career choice...a singular and inspiring talent... unfettered by expectations of geography or genre, and a wanderer of worlds both seen and invisible, Kenney is an authentic free spirit?. - fRoots "Superbly charismatic fiddle playing / once heard, never forgotten singing" - FRUK ?This is magical, medicinal music that defies labels and borders? - Liverpool Echo CAITLIN GILLIGAN Folksinger, Caitlin Gilligan, hails from the rolling hills of Galloway. Although now based in North-West England, her songs still echo the wildness of her Scottish youth. ?Weaving age-old ballads into sets of bare-boned and poetically-crafted originals, she demonstrates refreshing insight whilst simultaneously summoning the voices of times gone by. She draws inspiration from folk giants such as Anne Briggs, Nick Drake and Leonard Cohen as well as traditional vocal music of Scotland, Ireland and America. Caitlin has played alongside artists such as Martin Carthy, Martin Simpson, The Unthanks, Sam Amidon, Rachel Sermanni, Emily Portman, Rachel Newton and The Rails. She played her debut Cambridge Folk Festival in 2019, where she was a selected highlight on The Den Stage. In 2022, she toured with the highly-acclaimed folk-supergroup Tarren as part of a run of Nest Collective ?Campfire Club? gigs around the country where she was received with great acclaim. This year has seen the recording of five original tracks which is set to be released in Spring of 2024 as well as some highly acclaimed gigs such as her sold out show at The Green Note in London for Folk and Roots.