By: Robert Kaye
rom the opening measures of Scannura's sixth CD, the authentic verve of flamenco
guitarist Roger Scannura and his imaginative quartet captivates the ear. This isn't
a commercialized, flamenco-like facsimile marketed with fancy cover artwork and
flowery verbiage. Scannura's knowledge of flamenco, coupled with his formidable
musicianship, is organic and genuine. It's no wonder he was the first flamenco
guitarist ever invited to join the faculty of the York Music Department in Toronto,
where he lives. Originally a native of the Mediterranean Island of Malta, Scannura
studied flamenco guitar under the legendary Pepe Habichuela and other gypsy masters.
It shows. On every track, his technique and approach to flamenco puro is confident
and masterful. Eschewing the use of overdubs or electronic instrumentation, Scannura
and his ensemble-including his wife, Valeria, performing taconeo (dance), palmas
(handclapping) and castanuelas (castanets)-explore the full spectrum of flamenco's
emotional palette. Scannura is among an elite group of exceptional North American
flamenco guitarists-including Jason McGuire, Dennis Koster, Miguel Espinoza, and
Miguel de la Bastide (also from Canada)-who demonstrate, over and over, that one
needn't hail from Andalucia to be imbued with its soul.
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