Spanish embassy bring guitarist to thrill audience

Islamabad: ‘Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and charm and gaiety to life and to everything’ said Plato. How true! And there is nothing like a live performance for music aficionados, some of whom were treated to a performance by world renowned guitarist, Rafael Serrallet - one of the best guitar players of his generation according to experts - courtesy the embassy of Spain. The event was held at the Marriott Hotel, while the overall arrangements were supervised by DCM, Spanish embassy, Fernando Heredia.

It was a pleasant surprise that the programme began on time – late comers kept trailing in and missed some of the performance. Welcoming the audience, ambassador of Spain, Carlos Morales said it was a pleasure not only to see them but to present Rafael for the second time in Pakistan and that the maestro was happy to be here. Announcing that the play list included music right from the renaissance till the present, he concluded by thanking the hotel management; those responsible for the set up of the stage, sound and lighting; the ASG and sponsors of the show.

It was about an hour long performance and Rafael played sixteen compositions of different composers, each with a distinct tempo, explaining a little about them before beginning. A video presentation had been set up on one side of the stage showcasing art, especially that which featured guitars; music sheets; composers and so on – very interesting. Keeping the season in mind, he played ‘El noi de la mere’ by Miguel Llobet (1878-1932) – ‘The Child of the Mother,’ a traditional Catalan Christmas song. He also played a composition by Joaquin Rodrigo (1901-1997) titled ‘Invocacion y Danza,’ which he said was his favourite. “I learned a lot from him,” he said. Needless to say there was a standing ovation and he came back for a short encore.

Music is the greatest communication in the world. Thanks to certain foreign missions music lovers get to attend and enjoy live performances by world renowned artiste’s right here - and that too for free! Those attendees I spoke to during the refreshment period said they enjoyed the evening and it was good to listen to ‘pure’ music for a change.

Born in Valencia, Rafael Serrallet started his musical education with the guitarist Santiago Gras and finished his training with the great master Jose Tomas obtaining the maximum grade and receiving special distinction at all levels of his studies. In 2004, he received his Ph.D. from the Universidad Politecnica de Valencia.

He has won many awards in national and international competitions and has attended international courses given by the best teachers. In 1993, he was awarded a grant from the Festival de Musica y Danza de Granada to attend master classes with Eliot Fisk and in 1999 he received a scholarship to travel to San Diego, California and study with the Romeros. In 2002, he received the Prize Rome. He has presented guitar recitals internationally in prestigious venues. His performances have been broadcast on radio and TV and his CD releases have all met with excellent response from critics.

He also leads the Iberian International Music Institute, a musical project sponsored by the Spanish Corporation AECI which fosters and develops music education in Honduras, Nicaragua, Morocco and Palestine.