SOLEDAD (Saxophone and Guitar): STRINGS AND REEDS : an “old story” together

Website(s) : http://soledad.visages-saxophone.com

Biography

Fabien Chouraki: saxophone professor in Bordeaux’s conservatory has started some research in the Bibliotheque Nationale to rediscover some forgotten compositions. Two CDs were created : Legendes (includes original pieces from Debussy, Caplet, d’Indy some never heard) and Hommage à Adolphe Sax (unknown 19th centuary pieces). We are able to watch and to hear Fabien Chouraki in various televised programs (Le cercle De Minuit, France 2, Carrefour de l’odeon France Inter, les imaginaires France Musiques).
Catherine Robert: first price from Nantes’s conversatoire, first price from Paris’s conservatoire. She integrates the Quatuor of Champagne formations with which she will give concerts (direction M. Foster & L. Hirsh) in numerous festivals.

More information

SOLEDAD (Saxophone and Guitar): STRINGS AND REEDS : an “old story” together
As far as the origin of musical instruments comes from, it is a verified fact that the wind and reed instruments have always coexisted.
In all the countries of the world, in all civilisations throughout the centuries, coexist plucked string instruments (Oud, lute, guitar, cithars, …) and the reed instruments, double or single (Aulos in ancient Greece, Chalumeau in the middle age, Birbyne, Pai, taragot in the slavonic countries, Xaphoon in Hawai, Dollis a in Nigeria, saxophone, clarinet, oboe in occidental countries…). Often used for traditional folk music most of the time in groups, their dual association stays however rather rare in our country, paradoxically as the polyphony of the string instrument, complement and harmonise the monodies of the wind instrument forming a complete ensemble ( wasn’t Berlin who said ” the guitar is a small orchestra.”?)
Soledad is the marriage of those two instrumental families, and this ensemble chose to develop its repertoire towards the global music, being so varied and introduces the Saxophone and the guitar under various aspects. It is actually the diversity of styles offered that gives the wealth of this duo, as real as the south America’s music is totally different to the music from India ou the Balkans.

The variety of styles throughout the same concert is so varied that at no moment no one would be bored listening the sonorities sometimes surprising, unusual that the two musicians produce from their instrument. From a rhythmic and dancing tune, they then pass to soft and melancholic melodies, searching always for varied colours and nuances. The listener is taking a “tour around the world”.