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Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

Sound garden Jose Feliciano is recognised as the greatest living guitarist

Jose Feliciano, who performed in the city recently says, “I wanted to come to India my whole life. I have listened to some Indian music.”

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,” he says. Jose is always composing music. “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 artistes, 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.

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