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Sultan of strings
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Jose Feliciano blazed a path for Ricky Martin, Enrique Iglesias, Shakira and Marc Anthony to follow
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Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy
Sound garden Jose Feliciano is recognised as the greatest living guitarist
When the Latin Grammy Awards was going to be launched in 2000, Jose Feliciano told the organisers that he wasn’t happy with the idea. “They were angry because I felt that Latin American musicians may lose their position in the American Gr
ammy Awards.”
Jose Feliciano, the visually-challenged Latin-American guitarist and multi Grammy award-winner was here in the city to perform at the Johnnie Walker One Tree Hill Music Festival 2008 at Ambedkar Bhavan.
Jose, known for his soaring rendition of the theme song of “Mackenna’s Gold”, “Old Turkey Buzzard, “wanted to come to India my whole life. I have listened to some Indian music.” The spirituality struck him the most. “I performed in Mumbai and Goa, and the experience was fulfilling,” says Jose.
For Jose, the 62-year-old Puerto-Rican born artist who stylised The Doors “Light my Fire”, life has been hard. “I was born in a shack with a tin roof with no electricity. I have had a life that has seen the poorest of the poor.” But the legendary and inspirational Jose admits cheerfully, “If it weren’t for those desperate circumstances, and if I had everything at my beck and call, I would not have strived to better myself.”
It all started for Jose when he was three. “I used to accompany my uncle on a tin cracker can. Jose was four or five years old when he moved on to the harmonica, after which his family immigrated to New York City. “I started learning Braille and taught myself the guitar.” He feels, “It has been a life not without struggles, but it has been a wonderful journey so far.”
Jose treasures three moments in his life – when he won six Grammy Awards in 1968, playing for the Pope and the birth of his three children. “I’ll always remember them.” Jose is always composing music. His latest album is “The Soundtrack of my Life”. “I always listen to music as I compose and see how it goes.”
The artiste is recognised as the “greatest living guitarist” and as the first Latin-American artist who has crossed over into the mainstream music market. In a time where Ricky Martin, Enrique Iglesias, Shakira and Marc Anthony are known as celebrated cross-over artists, Jose is the one who pioneered it . Jose loves listening to Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Alicia Keys, Maroon 5 and Nickelback. But he feels, “Though there are a lot of good musicians now, the music of today is not the same as yesterday.” Interestingly, Jose has also composed western classical music and performed with The Vienna Symphony, The London Symphony, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and more.
Jose also keeps himself busy with charitable projects. “I am involved with helping ‘Save the Children’ and battered women.” He enjoys spending time with friends, trails off and plops down on the sofa and stretches himself out when he has been told there is another interview. Visit www.josefeliciano.com
AYESHA MATTHAN
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