Sunday 17 October 2021, 2pm
The dexterous guitar magician Víctor Herrero gives true meaning to the proverbial figure of the troubadour. By means of his voice and instrument only, he is capable of remarkable transmissions. Spanish guitar and singing: That’s what shapes Hermana; a simultaneously uncanny, courageous and comforting album for our young century.
Hermana pays homage to all the sisters who stand by our side, who care for us and from whom we learn from. The record takes place among still lifes, ploughed lands, crepuscular bygones and dim light confessions. Víctor's voice – truly tempered after many years on the road – spills a healing magma; describing settings in an exquisite use of the Spanish language.
Hermana dissolves the differences between the diverse musical traditions it draws from – be it Medieval, Andean, Andalusian, Mexican... Sources flow into a single bed thanks to the heated, swirling pulse of Victor's guitar: a galleon of loose ropes in which the most crystalline strum transmutes into dance and wooden tones are always welcomed.
Victor Herrero was introduced to music in his childhood while living in the famous monastery Franco erected in a mountain valley west of Madrid (El Valle de los Caídos). There he learned to sing Gregorian and Mozarabic chant under the guidance of Benedictine monks. As a teenager back in his hometown Toledo he formed a psych-rock outfit called ‘Cicely’, which grew into a popular Madrid-based band. The group lasted 8 years, after which Victor recorded and released an album of his solo piano compositions "Connotaciones para Piano" (Sello Autor - SGAE, 2006) under his old stage name “Victor Cicely”.
Shortly after this period, Victor met his wife the US artist Josephine Foster, and they began to collaborate and perform together in concert as well as in the recording studio. During the last couple years Victor has been involved in many different projects and journeys. Travelling, recording or playing with artists like Michael Gira, Keiji Haino, Luzmila Carpio, Baby Dee, Master Musicians of Joujouka, Vinicio Capossela, Sonny Simmons, Ed Askew, Arlt, Marisa Terzi, Alasdair Roberts, Eric Chenaux, Tomi Simatupang, Alex Neilson, Paz Lenchantin, Gyda Valtysdottir, Abdellah el Gourd, Michael Zerang, Nat Baldwin, Lorena Álvarez, Shahzad Ismaily, etc.
Currently, in this year 2020 he begins to collaborate with El Volcán Música in the release of his next album, which will be titled “Hermana”. This is an album produced by Tobias Levin at Electric Avenue Studio, Hamburg, with the art and cover by Nick Devereux.
