".. an elegantly polished guitarist, who can evoke flourishes of flamenco or .. jazzy staccato runs .. with consummate ease." Richard S. Ginell - Los Angeles Times "Combines the dexterity and elegance of the Spanish Classicists with the romantic imperative of South America." Mark Rowland - Musician Magazine "The melody line transports you to a different world" Playboy "Music that ranges from plaintive and bitter sweet to borderline rageful... a genuine find." David Silverman - Chicago Tribune Ciro Hurtado is a guitarist-composer from Perú who has been actively performing since the early seventies. His early musical career started during his high school years in Lima, performing in music festivals, theater recitals, weddings, birthdays and even funerals. At this time, Lima was experiencing a revival of traditional music, while the radio air waves were saturated with Rock & Roll. These two forces are the major influences in his musical style. He arrived in the USA in 1975 where he studied guitar with private teachers and at the Guitar Institute of Technology. Later he joined Strunz & Farah for a few years performing at the Montreaux Jazz Festival in Switzerland,Vancouver Folk Festival in Canada, Havana Classical Guitar Festival in Cuba, Kennedy Center and a tour of Perú. His participation with them was documented in the audiophile album "Misterio" for the label Water Lily Acoustics. Ciro is one of the founding members and currently the musical director of the group Huayucaltia. He has toured extensively in the United States and Perú with them, sharing the stage with artists such as Jackson Browne, Holly Near and Carlos Vives. He has recorded and co-produced six albums with Huayucaltia: "Despertar," " Caminos," " Horizontes," "Amazonas," "Origenes" and "Destinos." As a solo artist he has produced and recorded five albums where he leads a Latin Jazz band comprised of top L.A. musicians featuring notable players such as Justo Almario and Alex Acuña, among many others. His solo effort includes "In My Mind," "Tales from Home," on ROM Records, "The Magic Hour" (collaborative effort with his wife Cindy Harding,) "Guitarra" under his own label and "Echoes of the Andes" on the Canadian label METACOM. In addition, he has produced and recorded albums for LA Law's Michele Greene, Conjunto Jardín, Rosalia Leon, and many other talented artists. Most recently he was awarded the prestigious 2001/2002-2004/2005 Durfee Master Musician Fellowship. Ciro has scored and participated musically in various feature films and documentaries such as "Baraka," "Dead Women in Lingerie," "Max is Missing," "Hope Street," "Monsters," "Peru: The Royal Tour, " "From Wharf Rats to Lords of the Docks," and at the request of Ry Cooder did a short appearance in Walter Hill's "Extreme Prejudice." Ciro's guitar work ranges from the very traditional Latin American genres to the more sophisticated fusion Latin-Jazz idioms. His fine command of the instrument borrows from the classical techniques as well as alternate plectrum picking for high intensity solos. His guitar work is the most contemporary sound heard today on the nylon string guitar. Passion, a high melodic sensibility, and musical vision are the qualities attributed to his playing. There is no limit to his composition skills, from popular lyrical songs to sophisticated intricate classical oriented works. Pieces written by Ciro evoke motifs, landscapes and exciting elements of South American styles and rhythms, placing him among a select generation of Latin American composers. TALES FROM HOME Tales From Home is Ciro’s lyrical visionary portrait of his native Peru. Twelve original works of emotional depth from the principal songwriter and lead guitarist of Huayucaltia. Hurtado’s guitar speaks volumes. His fluid technique blends elements of contemporary jazz and classical Spanish guitar, with a proud nod to his Latin American heritage. Tales from home is a series of dance-rhythms mirages changing like phases of the moon, one moment brimming with contemporary brio (Bossa Ole,) the next rising and descending on the verge of a dream (Tales of Chacarera.) Amanda, one of two solo guitar works, is a moving tribute to his daughter. Magic Mist features a stirring vocal by Ciro’s wife and collaborator, Cindy Harding. This album is Ciro Hurtado’s inspired contribution to the Latin American music standard repertoire.