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Oscar Lopez appearing at Key City Jan. 25
One of Canada`s greatest guitarists, Oscar Lopez, will be performing at the Key City Theatre on January 25 at 7:30 p.m.
Known for his intimate live performances, Oscar offers a unique flavour of Latin music that incorporates a mix of jazz, blues and pop.
Born in Santiago, Chile to a middle-class family, Oscar was exposed to a wide variety of music from a young age. By age nine he began to experiment with different musical instruments, trying the violin, the mandolin and finally settling on the guitar. A “street learner” Oscar had no formal musical training and developed his craft by performing with his dad, neighbors and friends at the local Pentecostal Church.
By age 12, Oscar had taken a job at a local manufacturer making car antennas. The monotony of the job had a strong impact on Oscar who began to dedicate himself to his musical career. By age 17 he was playing professionally and getting his first taste of stardom with Chilean pop group The Grace of the King. In 1979 at the age of 25 Oscar left the repression of the Pinochet regime and joined his sister in Winnipeg.
Later making his home in Calgary, Oscar dedicated himself to his music by releasing 11 albums over a 23 year span. Professionally he achieved great success with seven JUNO nominations, winning best instrumental album in both 2002 and 2005 for his albums ‘Armando`s Fire’ and ‘My Destiny.’ Additionally, Oscar is a two-time recipient of the Hispanic Excellence Award and has been recognized as Instrumentalist of the Year by the Prairie Music Awards.
But the road to success was not without its bumps for Oscar. From 2001 to 2004 he battled major depression sidelining him from performing live and producing new music. Since breaking through his bout with depression, Oscar has rededicated himself to his music and now lives by the mantra “love, passion, simplicity.”
His live performances are an invitation to a very personal interaction between him and the audience.
“My music is an extension of my soul and life experiences,” Lopez explains. “My albums are the product of this internal and external collaboration. I revel in the thrill of watching an album take form.”
Performing live at Key City Theatre on January 25, Oscar Lopez`s performance will showcase his passion and fire for Latin Music.
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