Roni Benise

Roni Benise, is an American guitarist who describes his style as "Spanish guitar" or "nouveau flamenco."

After growing up on a small farm near Ravenna, Nebraska, Benise moved to Los Angeles, California, to pursue rock stardom. After hearing flamenco music on the radio, he switched from electric guitar to nylon-stringed classical guitar.

He began busking on the street and playing neighborhood theaters and flea markets. From these performances, he quickly established a following. Benise came up with an act that married Latin rhythms to a circus atmosphere. He fuses world music (specifically, strongly Latin-flavored styles such as flamenco, salsa, tango, and samba underscored by African tribal rhythms) with rock, to create a sound that appeals to mainstream music fans and aficionados of world music.

The mixture caught the attention of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and led to his 2006-2007 Nights of Fire! production that has aired on many PBS-affiliated stations, and won an Emmy Award. The show is a blend of theater and music, drawing from Spanish flamenco, Argentine tango, and Brazilian samba. The self-taught guitarist started playing at age eleven, and got into local bands as a teenager. He got a nylon string guitar and started relearning the instrument. Benise retired his electric guitar to focus exclusively on his new instrument. He meshed his rock background and the Spanish guitar in a combination he calls "rockmenco", So Benise formed a street group. They played around 225 shows a year, anywhere there were tourists, Karen Briggs Gilberto Gonzalez Mychal Lomas Al Velasquez Lucine Fyelon violin C.G. Ryche Jim Sitterly Yussi

Discography

Studio albums Taboo (2000) Angels: The Holiday Album (2000) Spanish Nights (2001) Romance & Passion / Europa (2001) Mediterranea (2002) Carnaval / Brazil (2003) Nights of Fire! (2005) Cuba (2007) Sentimento (2008) The Spanish Guitar (2010) White Christmas (2010) Live From China! (2012) Barcelona Lounge No. 1 (2013) (Benise & Arkenstone) Strings of Passion: A 10 Year Mosaic (2015)

Concert albums Benise Live (2004)

Compilations Romanza (2008) Sabrosa: Romantic Spanish Guitar (2009)

Live concert films Viva Spanish Nights: Benise Live in Concert (2003); DVD, Blu-ray Nights of Fire! (2006); DVD, Blu-ray Won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Costumes for a Variety or Music Program The Spanish Guitar (2010); DVD, Blu-ray Live From China! (2012); DVD Strings of Passion: A 10 Year Mosaic (2015); DVD Fuego!: Spirit of Spain (2018); DVD

Other compilation appearances Gypsy Spice: Best Of New Flamenco (2009) (Baja Records)