Arturo Parra – Terra Incognita

ByBradford Werner
2014

Arturo Parra, guitarist and composer
Terra Incognita
Seven sound portraits
November 2013

Artist Website: Arturo Parra
Label Website: La Grenouille Hirsute

Columbian born but Canadian based guitarist and composer Arturo Parra released this gem last year November. You can listen to samples or buy it via his bandcamp: www.arturoparra.bandcamp.com. As the composer states, “Terra Incognita is composed of seven sound portraits, pieces I wrote at the request of their subjects after spending time with them, listening to them, watching a few moments in their lives take place.” Mixing various influences ranging from Schubert to Brahms to Columbian popular dances, Parra’s scope is expansive and broad but very listenable. You can take a listen to the video below to get an idea of the musical style. I actually quite enjoy these types of albums that evoke a mood rather than mash up a bunch of random classical guitar composers. Enjoyable for general listeners and guitarists alike. Great recording quality and playing throughout. Bravo to Catherine Ego and La Grenouille Hirsute (Shaggy Frog Productions) for the quality recording and fantastic promotional materials too. Keep an eye on them for future releases.

Bradford Werner

Bradford Werner is a classical guitarist and music publisher from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. He originally created this site for his students at the Victoria Conservatory of Music but now shares content worldwide. Curating guitar content helps students absorb the culture, musical ideas, and technique of the classical guitar. Bradford also has a YouTube channel with over 94,000 subscribers and 13 million views. He taught classical guitar at the Victoria Conservatory of Music for 16 years and freelanced in Greater Victoria for 20 years and now dedicates much of his time curating content online and helping connect the classical guitar community. See more at his personal website.