Gino d'Auri

by Carol WrightGuitarist Gino D'Auri was born in Rome, the grandson of a gypsy. He began studying classical guitar, but while in his teens, D'Auri was "traumatized by flamenco" when he saw the movie Sombrero with Jose Greco, the legendary flamenco dancer, and Geronimo Villarino, one of the all-time great flamenco guitarists. D'Auri began playing flamenco music and investigating the rich cultures that fed the tradition. In 1967, D'Auri moved to the Los Angeles area, where he played in the flamenco clubs. In 1976, he recorded with Caldera, a groundbreaking world fusion band, on their self-titled album. In 1980, Hearts of Space's Stephen Hill met D'Auri while Hill was producing a film soundtrack, and Hill was asked to produce D'Auri's first album, Nuevos Caminos (translated "New Paths"), on harpist Georgia Kelly's label (Heru Records). In 1984, the album was remastered by Sonic Atmosphere and re-released as Passion Play. According to Hill, D'Auri created a unique sound by amplifying his Japanese Takemine guitar and shaping the sound through a reverb unit. In the late 1980s, D'Auri played on two albums by Keiko Matsui, a Japanese new age/world fusion artist. D'Auri's next solo recording, Flamenco Mystico, was with Hearts of Space/World Class, in 1992, followed by Flamenco: Passion & Soul in 1997. D'Auri has toured with famed dancer Jose Greco and often plays at flamenco restaurants in Southern California, such as Los Angeles' El Cid and Lare's in Santa Monica.