Eduardo Niebla(Queen Elizabeth Hall, January 29th 2011, Review by Rod Fogg)
This concert marked the launch of the new CD "My Gypsy Waltz". Eduardo was joined on stage by six other musicians; Brother Salvador Niebla on drums/percussion, Jyotsna Srikanth on Indian violin, Carl Herring and Ricardo Garcia on guitars, Dharmesh Parmar on tabla and Ken Marley on double bass. At the back of the stage stood the choirs of two girls schools, around 60 children, who sang on three or four numbers.
The concert began with the track India - an 18 minute exploration made up of three sections that is the major composition on the CD. It is an ideal introduction to Eduardo's current passion for blending flamenco elements with Indian classical music. The violin and tabla supply Indian authenticity, while the guitars provide the flamenco flavoured harmony and percussive interludes. Salvador Niebla's drumming is a delicate and sensitive motive force, which interacts beautifully with the percussion of the tabla.
The concert featured many tracks from the new album, which begins with the title track - a lilting waltz with an evocative melody. In fact, many of the tracks are strongly melodic. Eduardo seems to be developing his lyrical side, in contrast to the complex and accented themes of many tracks from his previous album "Lights from the Inner Side". "Rosie" and "Mirror of Life" are standout tracks, but this is a varied and intriguing set of compositions, blending elements from all around the world.
This gig marked the first of many around the UK during the next few months all of which involve a small band or just a duo, so it if you wanted to hear the full band live I’m afraid it's too late. However, I reviewed a trio gig (two guitars and tabla) in March last year and found it utterly spellbinding. Some of the upcoming gigs are within easy reach of London; they are highly recommended.
Tour details: EduardoNiebla.com
