Biography
Juan José Carranza traces his Costa Rican heritage to his parents while having entered the world in the United States and spent his formative years in New York City before eventually making Montreal his base. Flamboyant guitar work defines his approach, and he refined a percussive method that folds Latin rhythms into nuevo flamenco. His initial solo recording, Flamenco de la Costa, reached stores in 1998, with Playa Gitana following in 2000.
During his New York childhood, sounds from Tito Puente and Ray Barretto filled the air around him. Drums first drew his focus, though his parents chose a guitar instead to safeguard his hearing. He began playing salsa, progressive rock, and punk rock inside amateur and semi-professional ensembles. Late in his teens a chance meeting with a gypsy street musician introduced several intricate flamenco maneuvers; the encounter proved decisive, prompting him to center his efforts on flamenco and adopt the life of an itinerant performer.
Earlier stays in Costa Rica had already familiarized him with the country, and he later returned to play bars and restaurants while living beside the ocean. Additional travels carried him through Mexico, Holland, and Spain, each stop supplying lessons from local players that sharpened his craft. He took up residence in Montreal’s historic port district in 1997. Regular sidewalk appearances soon made him a fixture whose high-energy virtuoso sets drew both tourists and residents. Label manager Paul Etch noticed him at a street corner and proposed a recording agreement. Issued by Oliver Sudden in 1998, Flamenco de la Costa remained largely a solo affair, generating favorable notices that earned him a spot at the Ritmo y Color Festival in Toronto plus attention from local media. When preparing Playa Gitana he recruited a backing ensemble, notably a rhythm section intended to advance the Latin dimension of his sound. Since 2000 he has appeared on the main stage of the Montreal International Jazz Festival and at Toronto’s Rhythms of the World festival. In 2002 he launched the fusion flamenco trio Fogata together with two percussionists.
During his New York childhood, sounds from Tito Puente and Ray Barretto filled the air around him. Drums first drew his focus, though his parents chose a guitar instead to safeguard his hearing. He began playing salsa, progressive rock, and punk rock inside amateur and semi-professional ensembles. Late in his teens a chance meeting with a gypsy street musician introduced several intricate flamenco maneuvers; the encounter proved decisive, prompting him to center his efforts on flamenco and adopt the life of an itinerant performer.
Earlier stays in Costa Rica had already familiarized him with the country, and he later returned to play bars and restaurants while living beside the ocean. Additional travels carried him through Mexico, Holland, and Spain, each stop supplying lessons from local players that sharpened his craft. He took up residence in Montreal’s historic port district in 1997. Regular sidewalk appearances soon made him a fixture whose high-energy virtuoso sets drew both tourists and residents. Label manager Paul Etch noticed him at a street corner and proposed a recording agreement. Issued by Oliver Sudden in 1998, Flamenco de la Costa remained largely a solo affair, generating favorable notices that earned him a spot at the Ritmo y Color Festival in Toronto plus attention from local media. When preparing Playa Gitana he recruited a backing ensemble, notably a rhythm section intended to advance the Latin dimension of his sound. Since 2000 he has appeared on the main stage of the Montreal International Jazz Festival and at Toronto’s Rhythms of the World festival. In 2002 he launched the fusion flamenco trio Fogata together with two percussionists.
Albums
