by RUPERT BOTTENBERG

A lot has changed for Montreal flamenco guitarist/composer Juan Carranza in the four years since his last album Playa Gitana - shorn locks, fatherhood, a misplaced middle name (José). Furthermore, his music has become more nuanced and dynamic, as his recent third disc Mareas displays. What remains the same is the inviting, positive tone he brings to flamenco, his percussive playing style and of course the undying love of sand, surf and the stars above that his formative years in Costa Rica imprinted on him.

Mirror: There's been a four year lapse between your albums. How would you say your approach to flamenco has evolved?

Juan Carranza: The compositions are maybe less predictable, but always with a very strong rhythm. The point is for it to be more upbeat - not the deep, dramatic side of flamenco, but the more festive side of it.

M: Yeah, flamenco is very energetic music, but it can be a very rigid energy.

JC: My music's not as tense. You don't feel the pain. It's more of a liberating energy, breaking out of the pain and making you leave where you are and think of other places. The sense of the beach is still there. When people go on vacation, they just let loose, forget about where they come from and replenish their inspiration.

M: You've brought in a dancer, Rae Bowhay, as well. I understand that dance is an important ingredient of flamenco.

JC: Yeah, if you don't have the dance in a flamenco show, you might be labelled commercial, like Ottmar Liebert or Jesse Cook. You have to go back to improvisation, because that's one of the biggest characteristics of flamenco. With the dancer, you bounce off each other's inspiration at the time. Rae is a very fiery, dynamic dancer and she fits well with us because she's also very creative. She also does contemporary stuff on her own, and she's able to incorporate into our structures, which aren't always typical. Sometimes the typical structures are hard for people here to digest. We try to do something that doesn't exclude people, to stay true to the traditions, but also modify them a bit so that people can enjoy it without having to take a course in flamenco.

At la Sala Rossa on Tuesday, April 20 (sold out)
and Wednesday, April 21, 9pm, $12

>> Music Listings