Carlos Nuñez

Carlos Núñez is internationally regarded as an extraordinary MUSICIAN who stands among the most earnest and brilliant in the world. But he is also a true ARTIST. His charisma, energy and pioneering spirit have made him intensely popular, while he has gone far beyond the usual limits of his instruments: the bagpipe and the recorders.

He has received countless awards and nominations: a Grammy which he shared with his teachers, the Chieftains, for their album “Santiago”; Premio Ondas (Spain); Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik (Germany); two nominations to the Latin Grammy Awards, etc.

He has also attained commercial success: his first three albums have reached platinum record status in Spain, and his sales near a million copies world-wide.

He has been joined in his albums by artists such as Luz Casal, Jackson Browne, Mike Scott (The Waterboys), Roger Hodgson (Supertramp), Ry Cooder, Dulce Pontes, the Vieja Trova Santiaguera, Vicente Amigo, Noa, Carmen Linares, Teresa Salgueiro (Madredeus), Carmen Linares, to name but a few.

He has appeared onstage alongside legends such as Bob Dylan, The Who and Sinéad O’Connor.

His recording adventures began in 1996 with “A Irmandade das Estrelas”, already a classic, where he not only explored paths unknown until then to Celtic music, but managed to get through to the general public. Since then he has not ceased to both achieve success and amaze critics: he has experimented with flamenco, pop, and Cuban music (he took Ry Cooder and The Chieftains to Cuba).

At the age of 30, Carlos Núñez goes a further step with his first record for Sony, “ALMAS DE FISTERRA”. It is an album filled with good music –beautiful music, which may well be the antidote to the prevalent atmosphere of crisis. A work which twins two “Finisterres”, the Spanish and that of Brittany, that dreamed Galicia of Northwest France. So similar is this land to Galicia in its scenery, its people, its lifestyle and its music... that it even suffered a black tide three years ago caused by the petrol tanker “Erika”: later, from the outset of the “Prestige” disaster, Bretons threw themselves into solidarity with Galicia, represented for them by Carlos, “le galicien”.

Carlos Núñez is joined in this album by some of Brittany’s finest musicians, some of them legendary, such as Alan Stivell or guitarist Dan Ar Braz, and some other unknown –old musicians from the depths of Britanny, who keep the full flavour and genuineness of Celtic music alive.

For three years –during which he has virtually lived in Brittany- Carlos Núñez has chosen the best from the music of that mythic land of druids, magicians, dolmens and menhirs.

In “ALMAS DE FISTERRA”, the sound experience ranges from ancient melodies recorded in old Breton churches, to heavyweight musicians such as Jordi Savall and his viola da gamba and Liam O’Flynn and his Irish bagpipe, or new compositions in a pop vein, such as the single “Yann Derrien”, highlighted by the fairy-like voice of the Irish beauty Eimear Quinn. All of this with the music and sound quality that have become the trademark of Núñez, an artist who has achieved an international stature today.

In addition to all this, Carlos Núñez has taken part in the soundtrack of “Out to Sea”, Alejandro Amenábar’s fascinating new film. The bagpiper and recorder player from Vigo has provided the music of this soundtrack (composed by the director himself) with an unmistakable Celtic tone. A sound which Carlos himself has defined as a “Celtic sound which sounds Hollywood-like”. The film also features the song “Negra sombra”, which was included in Núñez’s debut album, “A irmandade das estrelas” with the guest appearance of the Galician singer Luz Casal and the US guitarist Ry Cooder.

“MAR ADENTRO” theme was first played live in July 2004, the night of Carlos' 33rd birthday, with an audience of 30.000 people in an unrepeatable concert tha took place at the Auditorio de Castrelos (Vigo).

In fact, 2004 closes with the publication of the DVD “CARLOS NÚÑEZ & AMIGOS”, a recording of that concert. It was a magical night in which Carlos an his usual musicians shared stage with a good deal of friends: The Chieftains, the most important band of celtic music, León Gieco, bagpipe bands from Galicia and Scotland, the Irish dancers of Riverdance, etc.

Ramón Sampedro used to say that “the mariñeiro is the adult dreamer that is still a child". It is also said in Galicia that "when you grow old you will be a gaiteiro (bagpiper)”. That night in Castrelos they were all mariñeiros... or gaiteiros”.