A graduate in jazz guitar from the Franz Liszt Music Academy, Budapest resident and Peruvian guitar master Alex Torres is currently promoting his latest debut solo release, Reborn, nine instrumentals “each telling a story without using words”, as this amiable Liman says in his sleeve notes.
His own story takes a few more, as Alex reveals something of his journey from Peru to the prestigious stages of Budapest, Müpa, Sziget, Erkel Theatre, Fonó and now the House of Hungarian Music.
“I was actually quite shy in Peru,” admits Alex, “and didn’t find it easy to develop as a musician. All my friends were in bands but I went to study electrical engineering as it seemed the safer option”.
Son of renowned Peruvian creole musician Pepe Torres, Alex learned how to play guitar from an early age but only began to blossom when he came here.
Do you know the way to Százhalombatta?
“One of my friends was in band who were playing a show in Hungary. The guitarist had dropped out and they needed a replacement. I had to Google what the capital of Hungary was in order to book my flight.”
Eventually Alex landed, of all places, in Százhalombatta, the festival location. “It felt like I was in an independent movie,” says Alex. “Everything was just so strange yet so attractive.”
That was in 2011. Keen on returning – “in my head, I knew Peru was temporary” – Alex was accepted at the Franz Liszt Music Academy to study jazz guitar. Building up his contacts with fellow musicians, he gradually became known as the go-to guitarist when an authentic Latin vibe was called for.
Since then, he’s played with top Gypsy band MazsiMó-GipsyMó and renowned flamenco dancer Zsófia Pirók, on major stages such as Müpa and the Erkel, the largest theatre in Hungary.
The whole time, though, Alex was searching for his own tune. Finding percussionist Gergely Tar – “a good match” – and hanging out with various members of popular local Latin supergroup Los Orangutanes, he began to work on his own material, a mix of Latin, flamenco and all full of passion.
Before going into the studio to complete Reborn, Alex listened back to some of his older recordings and realised, “I could learn a lot from that guy. When you’re younger, you’re filled with more fire, more desire. I knew I wasn’t quite good enough then, but there was something I could still take from it.”
The result, expertly engineered by Szabolcs Puha, is
an album of vivacity and beauty, recently showcased at the Fonó Club in May.
This
Friday’s free outdoor concert at the House of Hungarian Music is another step
in the right direction.
“It’s going to be me and my trio,” says Alex, promising that “it should appeal to people who love guitar music and appreciate independent vibes”.
Event information
Alex Torres Trio
House of Hungarian Music, open-air stage
1146 Budapest, Olof Palme sétány 3-5
Date: Friday, 8 July, 8pm
Admission: free
Concert details here
