Flamenco & Classical Guitarist
Based in Salt lake City, Utah
Oscar Chirinos
I was born in Lima, Peru and immigrated with my family to the United States at the age of 11 in 2001 to the city of Chicago. Music had always been a part of my life from a very young age, I would spend hours listening to my Grandfather Enrique Cano, a flamenco guitarist himself, play melodies and falsetas from Sabicas, & Diego del castor. I was always surrounded by music, either by my grandpa’s flamenco songs or my mother’s love for Tango and valses criollos, which were regularly sung by her at home every morning and most evenings.
I started playing drums at the age of 12 while still discovering where my passions truly lied and on which instruments I would pursue. It wasn’t until my dear parents bought me my first guitar at the age of 14, a stratocaster that would change my life around into wanting to discover more of the beautiful and intricate world of guitar playing. With a stratocaster at hand, I would spend hours figuring out and teaching myself songs by Carlos Satana, classics such as Black Magic Woman, Europa, and many more. My passion for music would just be expanded and diversified, when introduced to flamenco shortly after my dear grandfather’s death in 2005 from a sudden heart attack.
In an effort to honor my grandfather, I would spend hours listening to his falsetas and records of Paco de Lucia, Sabicas, Nino Miguel, Diego del castor. At one brief moment my grandfather had shortly introduced me to flamenco briefly before his death, so it came to me as an opportunity to take on the challenge and get to discover the most beautiful music to my ears and the brilliant art that is flamenco.
Oscar Chirinos
I was born in Lima, Peru and immigrated with my family to the United States at the age of 11 in 2001 to the city of Chicago. Music had always been a part of my life from a very young age, I would spend hours listening to my Grandfather Enrique Cano, a flamenco guitarist himself, play melodies and falsetas from Sabicas, & Diego del castor. I was always surrounded by music, either by my grandpa’s flamenco songs or my mother’s love for Tango and valses criollos, which were regularly sung by her at home every morning and most evenings.
I started playing drums at the age of 12 while still discovering where my passions truly lied and on which instruments I would pursue. It wasn’t until my dear parents bought me my first guitar at the age of 14, a stratocaster that would change my life around into wanting to discover more of the beautiful and intricate world of guitar playing. With a stratocaster at hand, I would spend hours figuring out and teaching myself songs by Carlos Satana, classics such as Black Magic Woman, Europa, and many more. My passion for music would just be expanded and diversified, when introduced to flamenco shortly after my dear grandfather’s death in 2005 from a sudden heart attack.
In an effort to honor my grandfather, I would spend hours listening to his falsetas and records of Paco de Lucia, Sabicas, Nino Miguel, Diego del castor. At one brief moment my grandfather had shortly introduced me to flamenco briefly before his death, so it came to me as an opportunity to take on the challenge and get to discover the most beautiful music to my ears and the brilliant art that is flamenco.
Months turned to years of practicing falseta by falseta, and scale by scale; constant travel back and forth between the U.S and Spain where i deepened my roots to this wonderful andalusian style, I began performing with dancers and singers through the chicago northwest suburbs particularly Woodstock, IL in Mchenry County near where i resided for most of my time in the States. I have reached the point of jumping into other rhythms and styles such as JAZZ, TANGO, VALSES CRIOLLOS. Because I truly believe music has no country and no one genre. It belongs to all countries and all genres are beautiful.
My current repertoire is focused MAINLY on flamenco, however i also play Peruvian Valses criollos, Argentine Tangos, Jazz and classical guitar. Pieces from the greats such as: Francisco Tarrega, Bach, Schubert. I am completely self taught, but music is my language and it is within this passion that I share all my music with you.
Flamenco
Flamenco is not just music, it’s a culture, it is a way to live and to engage with others who share a similar passion. I had the luck and PRIVILEGE to meet Paco De Lucia when; he did a concert in Chicago back in 2012.
Since then practicing his falsetas has been non-stop, but i must say QUITE challenging, and of course trying to play like GOD takes so much more effort than what it seems! Some of his most famous songs: Entre Dos Aguas and Rio Ancho are some of my favorite ones to listen to.
A few facts on who Paco Is: Francisco Gustavo Sánchez Gómez, known as Paco de Lucía, was a Spanish virtuoso flamenco guitarist, composer, and record producer. A leading proponent of the new flamenco style, he was one of the first flamenco guitarists to branch into classical and jazz. Which is quite the mix!
Flamenco
Flamenco is not just music, is a culture, it is a way to live and to engage with others who share a similar passion. I had the luck and PRIVILEGE to meet Paco De Lucia when; he did a concert in Chicago back in 2012.
Since then practicing his falsetas has been non-stop, but i must say QUITE challenging, and of course trying to play like GOD takes so much more effort than what it seems! Some of his most famous songs: Entre Dos Aguas and Rio Ancho are some of my favorite ones to listen to.
a few facts on who Paco Is: Francisco Gustavo Sánchez Gómez, known as Paco de Lucía, was a Spanish virtuoso flamenco guitarist, composer, and record producer. A leading proponent of the new flamenco style, he was one of the first flamenco guitarists to branch into classical and jazz. Which is quite the mix!
