Antonio Forcione
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New album Sketches of Africa out summer 2012
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Antonio Forcione Quartet'ALHAMBRA'
Tears of Joy
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Antonio Forcione, Trilok Gurtu, Ronu Majumdar 'Womad Festival'
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ANTONIO FORCIONE ( Artist )
Hailed as the 'Jimi Hendrix of the acoustic guitar', award-winning Forcione is considered one of the most charismatic and inventive performers to come out of Europe in recent years. He breaks the mould of most conventional, popular guitar sounds be it in the field of jazz, Spanish, African, Brazilian or improvised music. International tours have brought high critical acclaim from as far as Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Russia, Japan, Africa, Caribbean, Indonesia, Jamaica USA and all over Europe.
His 16 albums have variously hit the top of UK and international jazz & World charts and he has shared the stage worldwide with some of the worlds most accomplished musicians (see below), double-billing with artists such as John McLaughlin, John Schoffield, Van Morrison, Bireli Lagrane, Steps Ahead, Leo Kotke, Pino Daniele, Tania Maria and more
Born in Italy in a small village along the Adriatic coast, Antonio first drew public attention at 13 when he toured with his own band throughout Italy as a guitarist, mandolinist and drummer. He got a diploma in art and sculpture from the Art Institute in Ancona, and studied music in Rome (as well as mime) before moving to London in 1983 in search of greater inspiration.
Unable to speak English, he initially resorted to busking in the streets of London's Covent Garden, and within 2 months he had won an award which led to a BBC television appearance before being whisked off to open for the pop group Barclay James Harvest on a major European tour for over a total of 300,000, people culminating in a concert at Wembley Arena. He never looked back.
He has performed in festivals and theatres from as far as Australia and Indonesia to the USA, Canada, Caribbean, Turkey, South Africa, New Zealand, Philippines, Zimbabwe, Ukraine, Lebanon and all over Europe, especially in France, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and the UK. His festival appearances include Womad, Glastonbury, Edinburgh, Melbourne, Koln, Verona, Granada, Cordova, Hong Kong Arts Festival, Bath international guitar festival, Singapore Arts Festival, Jazz festival in Barbados, Adelaide, Zimbabwe,South Africa and the Machoire d'Or in Montreux amongst others, as well as most major International music festivals.
Antonio's constantly innovative approach to life have also led him to explore the realm of music-comedy performance resulting in invitations to perform at comedy festivals and TV throughout the world. He has performed with other comedians such as Boothby Graffoe, Paul Morocco, Django Edwards, Stephen Frost, Tanderika, Ursus & Nadeschkin and many others acted as musical director and performer for the award winning trio Ole'! Formed the guitar duo "Acoustic Mania" recoded 2 albums (Live at the Edimburgh Festval 93' and Talking Hands) with Jazz guitarist Neil Stacey, as well as appearing in variety music-comedy shows as Acoustik Maniaks and as a Solo music-comedy artist.
CHARITY PERFORMANCES:
Amnesty International 'Stand up for freedom' / Ormond Children's Hospital with
Graham Norton / Tsunami fund raiser in Italy / Creative Space for disabled children /
DCWC Nepal, women & children's centre / Amata Africa in Florence
In 2001 he won the "Best Spirit of the Fringe Award" at the Edinburgh Festival with a resulting tour of Australia, performing a repertoire both straight music and music-comedy, in 2004 the Award of excellence with Boothby Graffoe, in 2008 The 'Re Manfredi Award in Italy, in 2009 'Best musician of the year 2009' award in Italy.
"After 100 years of guitar playing is there anything left to do? Forcione proves that there is. Not content to be just a guitar genius, he injects his playing with physical comedy of unparalleled ferocity. This renowned musical performer has changed the way we look at the humble acoustic guitar". (Three weeks)
Artistic, intense, and formidably inventive, Antonio is a performer of genuine distinction. Ever unpredictable, his is a celebration of the unexpected elements in life, a music of rare delicacy, humour and, not least, passion.
Antonio Forcione BIOGRAFIA (IN ITALIANO)
ANTONIO FORCIONE (chitarrista-compositore-arrangiatore-produttore)
Un musicista di statura mondiale dotato di una tecnica invidiabile, porta la chitarra a nuovi livelli di espressione grazie a una miscela di forza melodica e sensazionali effetti di percussione. Forcione si e addentrato in territori che, prima di lui, nessun chitarrista aveva osato esplorare, con risultati davvero straordinari: se mancate la sua performance, lo fate a vostro rischio e pericolo! (The Stage)
"Hai un tocco bellissimo." (Paul McCartney)
Nato in Molise, si e' diplomato in arte applicata all'Istituto d'Arte di Ancona distinguendosi particolarmente nella scultura e nel disegno. Dopo aver trascorso due anni a Roma, studiando armonia e insegnando chitarra, nel 1983 si e trasferito in Gran Bretagna alla ricerca di ispirazione. Entro un anno aveva gia registrato il suo primo album (Light and Shade), seguito da altri 15 albums, in gran parte composti da materiale originale, per etichette discografiche quali Virgin Venture Jazzpoint e Naim. I suoi ultimi lavori sono entrate nella top 10 di varie classifiche di musica jazz e world del Regno Unito. Le sue composizioni piu evocative sono anche state utilizzate per film, documentari e programmi televisivi.
Acclamato come uno dei musicisti piu versatili d'Europa, Antonio Forcione esce dagli schemi convenzionali della musica per chitarra, si avventura in una ricerca che va oltre al linguaggio armonico-melodico, esplora ossessivamente lo strumento fino a ricavarne una sonorita che diventa impronte digitale, la sua firma sonora se si puo dire.
Servendosi di una consapevolezza jezzistica con influenze brasiliane, spagnole, folkloristiche e nord africane.
Gira il mondo in lungo e largo partecipando ai festival internazionali, come Womad UK, Womad Sicilia, Brecon Jazz festival, Delhi, Bombay, Melbourne, Sidney, Adelaide, Ankara, Istanbul, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Harare, Beirut, Roma, Verona, Milano, Parigi, Edinburgo, Montreal,Cordoba, Madrid, Arts Festival di Hong Kong, Sidney, Singapore, Montreux, Jakarta, e in numerosi festival della chitarra internationazionale con Martin Taylor, Bireli Lagrane, Barney Kessel, Dominic Miller, Zoe Rahman, Sara Jane Morris, Chano Dominguez, Seckou Keita, Chico Chagas, Ed Jones, Rossana Casale, Benito Madonnia, Erkan Ogur,Trilok Gurtu, Bosco de Oliviera, Neil Stacey, Andy Sheppard, Joji Hirota, Steve Lodder, John Paricelli, Alex Wilson, Francesca Alotta, Enzo Zirilli, John Etheridge, Guy Pratt, Vic Juris, Ronu Majumdar , Jason Rebello, Augusto Mancinelli ecc. Ha aperto come solista per John Scofield, Phil Collins, John Mc Laughlin, Zucchero, Bobby McFerrin, Jools Holland, Pino Daniele, Van Morrison e tanti altri.
Nel 2001 vince il premio the "Best Spirit of the Fringe" al festval di Edinburgo, nel 2004 il premo "Di eccellenza" in Australia insieme al comico Boothby Graffoe e nel 2008 in virtu degli altissimi meriti acquisiti ed internazionalmente riconosciuti nel settore della MUSICA, quale chitarrista che ha saputo "esplorare lo strumento fino a ricavarne una sonorita che diventa impronta digitale, la Sua firma sonora." gli e' stato conferito il Premio Internazionale di Cultura Re Manfredi.
Intenso e straordinariamente creativo, Antonio Forcione e' un artista che si distingue dagli altri musicisti. Imprevedibile, rappresenta la celebrazione di cio che la vita stessa contiene di inaspettato. La sua musica ha una delicatezza rara, oltre ad esprimere umorismo e passionalita'.
"Uno dei massimi virtuosi della chitarra presenti sulla scena internazionale, uno dei pocchissimi musicisti che sono in grado di incantare qualsiasi tipo di pubblico, dotato di un grande magnetismo personale." (David Freeman - Jazz-fm UK)
www.antonioforcione.com
International Endorser:
YAMAHA GUITARS -
MARK ACOUSTIC AMP
