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When Charlie Davison decided to learn flamenco guitar, he had no idea it would eventually lead to two musicians from Andalucía performing at Colchester Fringe.
After years of playing acoustic guitar, Charlie had long been interested in learning classical techniques. Regular visits to southern Spain, where his son had settled, introduced him to flamenco and the musical traditions of Utrera, a historic town near Seville.
His son had moved to Utrera with his wife to start a family, and Charlie became increasingly interested in the town’s musical heritage, particularly its murals and statues commemorating flamenco performers such as Bambino.
During the pandemic, he decided it was finally time to swap steel strings for nylon and learn flamenco guitar. Once travel restrictions allowed him to return to Spain, he searched for a guitar and a teacher and found both just a few streets away at the guitar school run by Antonio.
A few hours of tuition developed into weekly lessons, regular visits to the school and, six years later, three performances at Colchester Fringe featuring Antonio and his son Diego.
“I had shown quite a few friends over here video clips of Antonio and Diego’s musicianship and, having seen their appreciation, could see there would be a keen audience,” Charlie recalled.
He had previously seen flamenco performances in the UK, including Flamenco Express, but wanted audiences to experience something closer to the music he had encountered in Andalucía.
“Essentially they were showcasing classic flamenco, perfected and packaged for an international market. Full of brilliance, of course, but not quite the same as the raw, living guitar music played week in, week out in bars, town squares and parties.”
That distinction is central to Antonio and Diego’s performances, which combine traditional flamenco guitar with Andalusian rock and other musical influences.
Ahead of their appearances at CODA and Patch, Keep Colchester Cool’s Ben Howard (via Charlie) asked the father-and-son duo a series of questions, with Charlie translating their answers from Spanish.
Growing up with flamenco in Utrera
Utrera is one of Andalucía’s historic flamenco centres, home to celebrated performers including Bambino and the singers Fernanda and Bernarda de Utrera. For Antonio and Diego, growing up there meant experiencing the music as part of everyday life, often at private celebrations and gatherings in the town’s neighbourhoods.
“Growing up surrounded by Utrera’s flamenco tradition was a wonderful experience. We had the opportunity to enjoy, at first hand, some of the finest flamenco artists, performing at private celebrations and in the neighbourhoods of the town.”
The experience shaped their understanding of traditional guitar techniques and the distinctive compás, or rhythm, associated with Utrera. Those influences remain important even when they play more contemporary music.
“When we play more modern music, such as Andalusian rock, it’s very interesting to bring those traditional Utrera flamenco guitar techniques into it. And perhaps most importantly, all of this is something we’ve absorbed naturally, simply through growing up in that environment.”
That musical upbringing has also shaped the relationship between Antonio and Diego, who began learning guitar from his father at an early age before entering the conservatoire at eight. He progressed to intermediate studies in flamenco guitar, although the pandemic interrupted his formal education.
Diego subsequently began teaching alongside Antonio at their guitar school, continuing to develop his playing with his father. For Antonio, watching that progress and sharing the stage with his son has been particularly rewarding.
“Diego has developed incredibly quickly, and being able to perform pieces such as Entre dos Aguas by Paco de Lucía, or music by Paco Cepero, makes me feel enormously proud of him as a father. But most importantly, every time we’ve performed together, we’ve also shared journeys, experiences, and time together. And that, for me, is something very special.”
From flamenco to Scorpions
Their repertoire reflects both their flamenco roots and a shared interest in music beyond the tradition. Alongside forms such as farruca, rondeña, rumba and bulería, they perform pieces associated with Paco de Lucía, Paco Cepero and Diego del Morao, as well as music by Andalusian rock groups Triana and Alameda, and the duo Lole y Manuel.
There is also a rather unexpected addition to their repertoire: German hard rock band Scorpions
Their version of Still Loving You features Spanish lyrics and finishes with a flamenco bulería, a combination that might surprise anyone expecting an evening devoted entirely to traditional Spanish guitar.
“What attracts us to these different styles is, above all, the Andalusian musical character and cadence that runs through them. And with Scorpions, what appeals to us is how well the songs are composed. The melodies are very beautiful, and we also think their vocalist is an outstanding singer.”
For audiences who associate flamenco primarily with dancing, elaborate costumes, and theatrical performances, Antonio and Diego want to show the importance of the guitar itself.
Flamenco encompasses four elements: guitar playing, dance, singing and percussion. Their Colchester performances will concentrate primarily on the guitar, showing how its techniques and characteristic Andalusian cadences have influenced other styles, particularly Andalusian rock.
“For us, the important thing is that people who aren’t necessarily very familiar with flamenco discover that the guitar is a fundamental part of the tradition. We’d also like audiences to understand how flamenco guitar playing, with its characteristic Andalusian cadences, has helped create other musical styles, including Andalusian rock.”
There will be some singing, including a rumba associated with Bambino, but audiences should not expect a traditional flamenco singing performance. Instead, the duo will use their guitars and voices to interpret music that reflects both their heritage and their wider musical interests.
The appeal of intimate performances
The performances at CODA and Patch will let audiences experience Antonio and Diego’s music up close, especially in Patch’s intimate setting. For the duo, playing in smaller spaces offers a chance to connect directly with an audience and see their reactions as the music unfolds
“Playing with the audience so close to you, in such an intimate setting, is really rewarding. In a way, you can see the audience’s reactions as you play. You can read their faces and tell whether they’re enjoying the performance. But above all, the wonderful thing about playing somewhere small is that people really listen to you.”
They have spent considerable time working on the arrangements for these performances, particularly the interaction between their two guitars. They hope audiences will appreciate it, regardless of how familiar they are with flamenco.
“I think they’ll hear some really beautiful pieces of music, with arrangements and interpretations that we’ve put a lot of work into. And above all, they’ll get to hear how two guitars work together as a duo, how they interact with one another and complement each other musically.”
For Charlie, the opportunity to organise the performances grew out of his involvement with a community choir in Utrera, where Antonio was arranging the accompaniment for a programme of sevillanas. During this period, they began discussing the possibility of Antonio and Diego performing in England.
Having already shared recordings of the duo with friends, Charlie was confident their music would appeal to Colchester audiences. He was particularly keen to introduce the less formal, constantly evolving side of flamenco that he had come to appreciate through his visits to Andalucía.
“And it’s that side of Antonio and Diego’s artistry that I wanted to bring to Colchester. And ultimately, it’s that authenticity that attracted the attention of the wonderful Colchester Fringe, with its mission to put together a programme of unusual and thought-provoking art from round the corner and round the world!”
Antonio & Diego: From Utrera is at CODA, 63 High Street, Colchester, on Wednesday 28th October at 7pm, and Patch, 24 Trinity Street, on Thursday 29 October at 7pm and Friday 30th October at 8.30pm.
Tickets are £9, available from the Colchester Fringe box office.
