WHATS HOT / Artist Profile

by ALICIA MUOZ

Every once in a while a recording artist emerges out of nowhere with an eclectic musical style, inspired by a multitude of various non-musical artistic influences. Last month, we discovered just such an artist, Indie Instrumental composer and Flamenco guitarist, Stefan Vale (Spanish pronunciation). Originally hailing from the Nations Capital, Vale actually grew up in two cities: Washington D.C. (where he attended the Duke Ellington School of the Arts) and New York City (where he attended the New School for Social Research Music & Arts program in Greenwich Village). During the 80s, he pursued his dreams of becoming the next Pop Rock sensation by recording cassette demo tapes from his Upper Manhattan studio apartment, but after discovering just how challenging the road to stardom was, he eventually gave up on his dreams, sold all of his musical equipment and moved to sunny Miami Florida to live the quiet life. Sounds like the typical story of broken dreams in the Music industry, but the artistic spark of creativity was not fully extinguished in him, for he would then take up Salsa dancing, and eventually become an accomplished dance competitor, instructor and Internet journalist. This would lead him to become a prolific contributor to various magazines, receiving great critical acclaim within the local Arts community and he also became an editor of his own online magazine (SalsaPulse.com), which operated for over seven years. In 2006, he received a prestigious award from the Miami Salsa Congress, honoring his many contributions to the world of Latin dance. Always looking to expand upon his creative portfolio, he would later produce an advanced-level Salsa dance instructional DVD video and then he authored and published three books and two original movie screenplays, including one co-written with Telemundo and Mega-TV television network personality, Angie Perez. After many years of pursuing various creative outlets, he would eventually come full circle and returned back to his first love of music, but this time

he decided to do things a little differently. Inspired by other entrepreneurial Indie recording artists who developed the skills to manage all aspects of their music career (including composing, recording, production, distribution and marketing), Vale created a new style of music by incorporating Rumba Flamenco guitar, Latin rhythms and mind-bending audio effects. An exotic blend of traditional and contemporary elements with a smooth and mystical groove, Vale plays Flamenco guitar the traditional way (with his finger nails rather than with a pick) and he also plays most of the musical instruments on his original compositions, which he usually records alone (assisted periodically by a recording engineer). The results are songs with a uniquely deep and personal mood, as his guitar playing resembles a soulful singer, wailing and screaming with passion as the music guides listeners on an emotional journey of love, betrayal and reincarnation. Recently, Stefan Vale released his self-titled debut album, partnering with local artist (painter) Humberto Benitez to perform live at his Coral Gables Art Gallery before crowds of art enthusiasts. With his guitar illuminated by a soft romantic light and Vale dressed with a stylish straw hat covering his face and a cool white linen dress shirt, he performs passionate solo versions of his original material, as patrons admire the incredibly vibrant paintings, sip on wine and experience the smooth musical vibe reverberating off of the walls of the gallery; definitely a delight for the senses. So whats next for this talented and versatile artist? As Vale tells it, Id like to record a romantic duet with a well-known female singer like Sade, Toni Braxton or Gloria Estefan. Contemporary Flamenco guitar is such an incredible instrument and very wellsuited to accompany a lovely female voice. You can catch Stefan Vale perform live at the H.Benitez Art Gallery (located at 305 Alcazar in Coral Gables) on the first Friday of each month and his new debut album is available now at various online music outlets (including ITunes and Rhapsody).

Page 20 August 2011 / WHATS HOT