Willie and Lobo: The Farewell Tour
Thursday, March 1, 8 p.m., Margaret Greenham Theatre, The Banff Centre
Adult $23, Student/Senior/Child $21, Playbill special $18
Banff Centre Box Office: 1-800-413-8368 or 762-6301
Presented as part of the winter/spring 2007 Playbill Series
Violinist Willie Royal and Gypsy guitarist Wolfgang “Lobo” Fink have spent their lives traveling the world, creating soul-inspired instrumental music that incorporates sounds from the Middle East, the Caribbean, Mexico, and Spain. The pair has played together for the past 16 years, producing ten albums. Their passionate and earthy world music inspires audiences and showcases their signature gypsy-flamenco sound. Now, on their farewell tour, Willie and Lobo include a stop at The Banff Centre’s Margaret Greenham Theatre on March 1.
Tracks from the duo’s latest release, Zambra, have a fresh and festive sound. Fittingly, the album’s name is a Gypsy word meaning “a gathering of musical merriment”. Complete with the trademark sounds of Willie’s rough-hewn violin and Lobo’s rhythm guitar and percussion, songs from Zambra at times turn into all-out jam sessions. Packed full of emotion, the album includes tracks recorded within hours of the devastation on the north Gulf Coast caused by hurricane Katrina.
Willie Royal was born in El Paso, Texas, and as the son of an Air Force lieutenant colonel grew up in Turkey, Germany, France, and Florida. Trained as a classical violinist in his youth, Willie was soon influenced by rock ’n’ roll, reggae, jazz, and salsa, and began playing country-rock fiddle with a variety of groups including the Allman Brothers Band.
Wolfgang “Lobo” Fink was born in Teisendorf, Germany, and learned to play guitar while serving in the German navy. Following his term of service and having been strongly influenced by gypsy guitarist Manitas de Plata, Lobo spent time in gypsy camps of southern France, and later traveled to Granada, Spain, to further study with gypsies.
The Banff Centre’s winter/spring 2007 Playbill Series continues with Gwynne Dyer (March 9), Tom Cochrane (March 10), Banff Players: A Doll House (March 16 and 17), Cathie Ryan (March 20), and Decidedly Jazz Danceworks (March 24).
Tickets for all Banff Centre events are available through The Banff Centre Box Office: 1-800-413-8368 or 403-762-6301.
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More information on the winter/spring 2007 Playbill Series.
