Raritan Valley Community College presents Two Concerts With France's Acoustic Guitar Master Pierre Bensusan
By: A.A. Cristi
On Thursday April 13, France's acoustic guitar master Pierre Bensusan continues his 40 date tour of the USA and Canada with 2 concerts on the same day at The Theatre at Raritan Valley Community College! Winner of the Independent Music Award, in the Live Performance Album category for his latest triple live album "Encore" (2014), "Rose d'Or" of the Montreux Festival for his first album, "Près de Paris" (Switzerland, 1976), "Best World Music Guitar Player " by the readers of Guitar Player Magazine (USA, 2008), Bensusan is recognized as one of the premier musicians of our time.
Described by the L.A. Times as "one of the most unique and brilliant acoustic guitar veterans on the world music scene today", his name became synonymous with contemporary acoustic guitar genius. He has the ability to make a single guitar sound like an entire band as he brings the audience on a mesmerizing musical journey. And yet, Bensusan is more than what any musician or music lover expects from a guitarist. He is a composer as well as a bilingual and a brave improvisational vocalist, melding whistles and resonant low notes with something like his own scat technique.
Born in Oran, French-Algeria, in 1957, when France was decolonizing its Empire, Pierre Bensusan's family moved to Paris when he was 4. He began formal studies on piano at the age of 7 and at 11 taught himself guitar. Influenced in those early days by the folk revivAl Blooming in Britain, France and North America, Bensusan began first to explore his own diverse musical heritage and then moved to the horizons beyond.
There is a sense of something both playful and serious in his work, an unparalleled sense of freedom in his compositions and his improvisations. His "manner" of playing defies classification - crossing world, classical, jazz, traditional, folk and more. None can be isolated as simply "Brazilian", "Arabic" or "French"; rather, they represent our world in its current state, a world sharing itself, fusing cultures together in ways we have never experienced. A great ambassador of peace. Not to be missed!
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Mean Girls: High School Version SASY Inc. (8/07-8/09) |
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Me and My Girl Spring Lake Theatre (7/08-7/19) |
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Dvořák's "New World" Symphony New Jersey Performing Arts Center (5/02-5/02) |
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The SpongeBob Musical North Star Theater COmpany (7/30-8/02) |
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Sutton Foster & Kelli O''Hara with The Legendary Count Basie Orchestra Hackensack Meridian Health Theatre at the Count Basie Center (8/23-8/23) |
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Neruda Songs and Poulenc's Gloria State Theatre New Jersey (4/18-4/18) |
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Merrily We Roll Along St. Luke's Episcopal Church (8/20-8/23) |
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Shrek: The Musical (July 11-July 26) Algonquin Arts Theatre (7/11-7/26) |
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Opening Weekend: Beethoven's "Emperor" & Schubert's "Great" State Theatre New Jersey (10/25-10/25) |