Irene Gómez performs “El Retrato de Cecil”, a new piece for Colombian guitar repertoire

A visit to the French Ambassy on July 14th 2019

One of the projects in which I have been involved in the last years is to promote and perform new music written by Colombian composers. I have recently the opportunity to work on the piece by Carlos Lora “El retrato de Cecil”. I was very thrilled to learn this piece that Carlos composed inspired in his beloved mother, Cecil and he kindly dedicated to me. I hope you like this beautiful piece added to the new Colombian guitar repertoire!

I was so glad to being able to perform “El Retrato de Cecil” by Carlos Lora

Irene Gómez perfoms “Yesterday” (Lennon-Mc Cartney arr. Takemitsu)

My time of student in France…memories from yesterday…

Yesterday is like a hymn of our times. It was recorded in London on June 15th 1965. One of the features that made this song such an everlasting success is, that besides the beatiful melody, it includes a string quartet, a fact rarely seen in a long play of popular music. I have really enjoyed learn this fantastic arrangement of inconmensurable Toru Takemitsu. I hope you enjoy too the version I made from my home some weeks ago.

Irene Gómez plays Yesterday (Lennon-Mc Cartney) arr. T. Takemitsu

ALBÉNIZ MUSIC FOR GUITAR

Even though the Spanish composer Isaac Aléniz (1860-1909) has not actually written for guitar, his music has been strongly inspired by the rich sounds of this instrument. Indeed, the arpegios that appear in his work Granada from Suite Española Op. 47 remind the typical playing of the guitar. Thus, the guitar transcription is very idiomatic seeming very natural and original for the instrument.

Here, then an interpretation I made of Granada!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCxvkYgrFFg
Granada was composed before 1900 and was first transcribed by Miguel Llobet. Here I played the transcription by Manuel Barrueco.

Video para el mes de la Herencia Hispana/Hispanic Heritage video!

Gracias a la invitación del Taller de Tardes Literarias y Artísticas organizado por mi amiga residente en New York Marcela Coello, grabé el famoso y hermoso tango “El Dia que me quieras”. Esta obra universal ha sido arreglada para guitarra por Anibal Arias. Escucha mi versión hecha en casa en tiempos de pandemia…

For the Month of Hispanic Heritage my friend Marcela Coello a resident of the New York area, invited me for her “Literary and Artistic evenings”. I played from the classic tango “El dia que me quieras” by Carlos Gardel. I hope you listen and enjoy this “homemade” version!

My new video at Strings By Mail on quarantine times..

IRENE GÓMEZ (FROM IRENE FILES. BOLIVIA, 2017)

During the last years I have had the great opportunity to introduce some of my videos through the great American company for musicians Strings By Mail. We released together videos with the music from Bach until Colombian tunes such as Cacao by J.C. Guio. Also to release videos with the music of Albéniz, Pedro Sarmiento and Scott Ouellette has been thrilling and rewarding. Additionally, I have presented some pedagogical videos and writings on history of the guitar and music in general among others.

Now that we are living the effects of the unexpected virus, not only financial aspects of life can be suffering, but also other aspects such as the emotional one. For this, nothing is better than art and music to enhance somehow the spirit with some hope. Hope remind us that we can overcome many things (better if we feel that superior mind or energy that support us in different circumstances in our lives), and more fortunate if we have access to art and culture. The human history has proven how the art has been an exit to overcome difficulties.

Thinking of this, I thought it would be a good idea to send a special message to SBM followers along with a home video as many artists are doing in these times.

Here is the result of this, a video made one afternoon at my place with a recently learned version of “Here, there and everywhere” (Beatles-Takemitsu arrangement).

I hope you enjoy the version of this song and I hope that we will get through the circumstances we are going through adding myself to the, I know, internal wish of everyone that at the end we will be stronger and better human beings.

Nan Fon Bwa (Deep in the woods) by Amos Coulanges – Music Only – Irene Gomez | Strings By Mail

Music available at SBM https://www.stringsbymail.com/search/… Award winning guitarist and Juilliard Graduate Irene Gomez performs this unique and under exposed work by the talented Haitien composer Amos Coulanges. Irene Gomez https://www.irenegomez.com has recorded other Coulanges pieces in her album “En Los bosques”. More music of Irene Gomez is available at http://www.stringsbymail.com Irene currently shares her time between her worldwide concert career, recording and teaching at the Conservatory of Music at the National University of Colombia.

 

Born in Port au Prince Haiti, Amos Coulanges studied guitar in France under Javier Quevedo at Ecole Normale de Musique. Coulanges also studied musicology at Sorbonne in France. Cuban artist Leo Brouwer expressed of Amos’s music: “The music of Amos Coulanges is truly representative of his Haitian culture – fresh as a landscape, direct as a trait of the ‘Creole’ youth, but at the same time equally complex…how can you combine so many diverse things into one? This can only be done in our Caribbean islands. Thus the music of Amos Coulanges.” I, myself, had the privilege to meeting this great musician while studying in Paris, and I am very proud to introduce some of his music to audiences all over the world.

 

 

Irene Gómez Classical Guitarist

>