Her Muddy Guitar Sound

By Reza Ganjavi

Showed up at X's concert - the security seemed tight - just wanted to check it out and couldn't choke up $35 for a ticket. Ended up on a "late seat"... glad (but not proud) that magic still happens... got in just as she came on stage.

First I thought she had amped her guitar because it sounded like it has a cheap pick-up or poor equalization - later found out it was not amped - but sounded unpleasantly muddy.

She opened with a Granados dance #5 - followed by Recuerdos de la Alhambra: "In selecting the program I decided to choose Recuerdos because of its folk origin..." She played it quite slowly with a good tremolo and lots or rubato - very meditative - almost too much.

She had a lot of hair - long curly hair with ears showing. Masculine like many women here. I guess femininity is going out of fashion. The 4-wheel, $-worshipping society gives selective preference to the aggressive, the egotistic, the selfish. I am not talking about Sharon as I do not know her. Most girls here turn me off - the bodies are ok but the minds are - what can I say - distanced - in the clouds - on the highway?!

She continued with a big gentleman from Amazon Forests who's been touring with her. He was surrounded by percussion instruments and accompanied her on I guess his compositions. Sharon played mostly folk-style guitar of mostly chords. He also accompanied her on Lauro's Valse Criollo. Valse Venezolano No. 3 which she said was named as Natalia, his daughter. I didn't like her interpretations as the bass notes were not legato enough. The accompanying percussion was too obtrusive.

She has a very warm tone - actually way too warm - her playing is very clean - her technique was solid but despite me being a "feminist" and big proponent of women’s rights and equality, most female guitarists I’ve met do not have a man's right-hand articulation ("punch").

Overall it seemed she was bringing the classical guitar to a folk level - at least for this project - and I do not know how much she is gratified by it. I left at half-time

Sorry if this is an ignorant review.

Ciao,

Reza

Maestro Angelo Gilardino: “I do not know either her or her playing, but your comments seem well thought and seriously motivated. Ciao, Reza.”