Raúl Rodríguez is an extraordinary musician and storyteller who situates local traditions from southern Spain within the frames of popular music, transatlantic travels, and the African diaspora. He will be accompanied by Spanish guitarist Mario Mas, whose fusions of classical and folkloric styles are perceptive and honest. We will gather to be inspired by their artistry and vision up close in an intimate setting at a beautiful home in downtown Riverside.

This concert will open the Transatlantic Malagueñas and Zapateados Conference at UC Riverside which takes place on April 6 and 7.

Rodríguez has been recognized with a Grammy nomination (2007), the “Best European Album” award from the BBC Radio World Music Awards (2008), and his recent solo album Razón de Son was recognized as one of the best albums of 2014 by a number of media outlets (including RockdeLux, Mondosonoro, Rolling Stone, Efeeme, El País, World Music Charts Europe, AireFlamenco, Betto Arcos, Diario Folk, DeFlamenco…).