Advertisement
Photo credit: Faby La Hara
__________________________________________________________________________________
Flamenco has always been more than a musical genre—it's a language of emotion, tension, release, and storytelling. While cante (singing) and baile (dance) are iconic pillars of the tradition, the guitar has evolved into an equally powerful voice, capable of expressing sorrow, joy, and raw intensity through nuanced technique. Over the last century, flamenco guitarists have expanded the expressive capacity of the instrument, shaping a tradition that thrives on individuality and emotional depth. Their innovations—whether in rasgueado, picado, tremolo, or dynamic phrasing—have redefined flamenco and inspired new generations of players.
One of the towering examples is Paco de Lucía, whose expressive precision transformed flamenco into a global art form. Paco’s picado lines—rapid, articulate bursts of melody—allowed him to communicate emotion with clarity and fire. His tremolo, particularly in works like Recuerdo a Patiño, created a flowing, vocal-like sound that made a single guitar feel symphonic. Similarly, Sabicas, an earlier pioneer, was known for a dazzling command of speed and articulation; his expressive, crystal-clear falsetas highlighted the guitar’s role as both rhythmic engine and lyrical storyteller. Manolo Sanlúcar brought a more contemplative, orchestral approach, using expressive phrasing and dynamic contrast to deepen the emotional narrative of flamenco compositions.
Contemporary guitarists continue to build on this legacy. Vicente Amigo blends delicacy with emotional warmth, using subtle vibrato, fluid legato, and melodic sensitivity to craft a poetic style. Tomatito, with his roots in traditional cante accompaniment, uses expressive accents, rhythmic elasticity, and nuanced rasgueado to elevate both singer and solo performance. Newer voices—such as Luna La Hara, who fuses flamenco with jazz and Brazilian influences—use expressive technique as a bridge between cultures, weaving intensity with elegance to create modern flamenco identities. Together, these artists demonstrate that expressive technique is not merely about virtuosity; it is a channel for storytelling, a way of making the guitar speak with a human soul.
ABOUT LUNA LA HARA
Luna La Hara is a Brazilian flamenco guitarist from Belo Horizonte who later moved to Chipiona, Spain, to immerse herself more deeply in the flamenco tradition. She discovered flamenco at 17 after receiving a Paco de Lucía DVD and began her journey largely self-taught, taking lessons only when visiting flamenco musicians came to Brazil. In 2023, she relocated to Spain, a move that marked a new stage in her artistic development.
Her music blends traditional flamenco with influences from jazz and Brazilian rhythms, creating a style often described as both elegant and fierce. Critics praise her expressive technique, noting how she makes the guitar feel like a “voice,” balancing heritage with innovation. She frequently presents original compositions and has performed internationally across Europe, Africa, and Latin America.
As a rising female guitarist in a field historically dominated by men, Luna La Hara has gained recognition for her virtuosity and modern approach to flamenco. She has been featured in concert programs such as “Al-Turâth,” which reflects her idea of bridging memory and future. Her performances and evolving style have positioned her as an important new presence in contemporary flamenco guitar.manity. It invites us to listen, to feel, and to connect. In doing so, it dissolves barriers and builds bridges—one note at a time.
Our Opinion
Luna La Hara stands out as one of the most compelling new voices in modern flamenco guitar. What makes her remarkable is not only her technical command but the authenticity with which she channels emotion through the instrument. Her playing carries both delicacy and intensity—qualities often seen as opposites in flamenco—yet she blends them effortlessly. You can hear that she approaches the guitar not just as a vehicle for virtuosity, but as a means of storytelling, which is at the core of the flamenco tradition.
What also sets her apart is the way she incorporates her multicultural background into her sound. Coming from Brazil and later immersing herself in Spain’s flamenco heartland, she brings rhythmic instincts and melodic sensibilities that feel fresh without ever losing the deep respect for flamenco’s roots. That fusion, when combined with her expressive phrasing and dynamic control, gives her music a distinctive voice—one that feels both forward-looking and grounded.
Overall, Luna represents the type of artist who expands flamenco without diluting it. She contributes to the tradition by adding her own emotional vocabulary, proving that flamenco guitar continues to evolve through players who dare to mix elegance, fire, and personal history into their sound.
INTERVIEW WITH LUNA LA HARA AND GUITAR THRILLS MAGAZINE
Guitar Thrills: Your journey into flamenco began in Brazil—how did your early musical environment shape the artist you are today?
Luna: I was born into a traditional Brazilian family, in a big house, where I lived with my grandparents, my mother, and my aunts. They weren't musicians, but at one point, my grandmother, in search of a hobby, started taking flamenco dance lessons. Watching her dance sparked a nostalgic feeling in me toward the style. Years later, my mother met a partner who sang in the city's nightlife—my stepfather—who was the one to show me a Paco de Lucía DVD for the first time. That was a turning point in my life.
Guitar Thrills: Flamenco is known for its emotional intensity. What emotions or stories do you try to convey when you play?
Luna: I'm a very intense person and the guitar is the victim of my rage! Is the instrument I use to shout out louder my pains, my passions, my frustrations and even happiness. I have a bipolar way of playing and that's what makes people enjoy my concerts.
Guitar Thrills: You often blend flamenco with jazz and Brazilian influences. How do you balance innovation with respect for traditional flamenco?
Luna: I really love traditional flamenco. But I think it's already done. I mean, I have no ways to contribute to a solid history, built many years ago. This way, I create my songs looking to my feelings, despite of what flamenco purists will think.
Guitar Thrills: Can you describe a moment in your career when you felt your expressive technique made a breakthrough in your playing?
Luna: At Bryan Adams concert! This was a very special day in my life, because I'm a fan since I was a teenager. To be invited by him to play a song recorded by the great Paco de Lucia, in front of thousands of Spanish people… Best musical moment of my life!
Guitar Thrills: Which flamenco guitarists have influenced your sound the most, and what specific qualities did you draw from them?
Luna: Paco is an obvious choice for every guitarist, and I know his entire discography. But my main influence is Vicente Amigo. I think this guy has everything and a very impressive ability to tell histories through the guitar. But of course, I studied and listened to people like Tomatito, Niño Ricardo and Ramon Montoya as well.
Guitar Thrills: Your playing is often described as elegant yet fierce. How do you consciously use technique—rasgueado, picado, dynamics—to create that contrast?
Luna: It's all about dynamics. I needed to find a way to calibrate intensity with the feelings I want to express. It was a really hard work. I saw many guitarists around the world playing in a linear way. Always the same volume, same intensity, same message. Paco used to say the most important musical note is the silence. He was right. It's all about create comfort and then explode everything!
Guitar Thrills: As a rising female guitarist in a historically male-dominated field, what challenges have you faced, and what motivates you to keep pushing forward?
Luna: I face a lot of criticism, mainly from guys. This is my everyday routine. But I learned to deal with it without conflicts. I don't feel myself as a voice for women's cause. I think I'm just a guitarist trying to do it better.
Guitar Thrills: You’ve mentioned that the guitar “speaks” in your hands. How do you approach phrasing and articulation to give the instrument a voice-like quality?
Luna: Something I learned from Vicente Amigo is to pay attention to invisible notes. Those ones that nobody pays attention in the middle of a Legado, for example. Also, I always try to support main notes with chords. Chords are important tools to determine the feeling you want to express.
Guitar Thrills: Now that you’ve spent time living and performing in Spain, how has being close to the roots of flamenco changed your musical identity?
Luna: To live here made me more confident about my playing. I mean; while leaving in Brazil, I have always been feeling insecure about my guitar, thinking that maybe my wasn't playing the flamenco as it should be. Being so close to the roots teaches me I'm doing it well
Guitar Thrills: Looking ahead, what artistic directions or collaborations excite you the most for the future of your flamenco fusion style?
Luna: I'm producing a new album, focused on collaborations with many different styles. But I really appreciate Arabic music, cause flamenco has a lot in common with it. It's my favorite fusion influence at this point
Conclusion
As our conversation with Luna La Hara comes to an end, one thing becomes unmistakably clear: her journey is defined not by where she started, but by the choices she continues to make. From surviving on her own to forging bonds she never expected, Luna’s story is a reminder that strength is not the absence of fear, but the courage to rise above it. Her honesty, resilience, and fierce loyalty offer a powerful example of how even the most difficult pasts can shape extraordinary futures.
Whether she’s navigating trust, leadership, or the complexities of found family, Luna stands as a testament to growth—proof that you can rewrite the world around you by first rewriting the world within.
And with that, we thank Luna for sharing her time and her truth. Her path is still unfolding, and if her journey so far is any indication, there’s much more ahead for her—wild, challenging, and full of hope.
A RECAP OF WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
