The Colombian lawyer is the heart and soul of the group “Classico Latino” and is the man to credit for bringing Latin rhythm to British musicians Graham Walker and Lizzie Ball. (The Prisma memoirs)
Olga Briasco
Iván Guevara originally planned to finish his legal studies in Cambridge then return to his home city of Bogotá. He finished in 1995 but is yet to buy a ticket home. He is happy here, and has become an unexpected cultural ambassador for his country.
As a firm believer of the premise “you must take every opportunity life throws at you”, he accepted a surprising challenge, to play a Latin American set in front of a Cambridge audience.
His classical training (he studied at the Bogotá Conservatory) and his non-existent experience playing Latin American music certainly complicated the challenge. Sitting at a piano before a knowledgeable audience, he played the Pasillo “Vino Tinto” (a Colombian folk piece, “Red Wine”).
The reaction was “very good” he remembers. It was a pleasant surprise, “in Colombia that type of music is the sound of yesteryear, but for the English audience it was a novelty. It was almost revolutionary.” The performance was a paradox, never before had he played Latin American folk music. “I was thousands of miles from my country, when suddenly the possibility of playing Latin American music came to me.” From that day forward his life in London became inextricably linked with music, building a cultural bridge between the two countries. The whole of England would be introduced to the sounds of the Bambuco, Joropo, Cumbia, Argentine Tango and Peruvian Waltzes.
Graham Walker and Lizzie Ball are the British musicians who accompany Guevara. Whilst he transmitted the emotion of the Latin American songs to the Brits, they managed to shed their cool persona to project Latin passion and vibrancy through their musical instruments.
The three musicians formed the group Classico Latino, and in his interview with The Prisma, Iván Guevara announced they are “currently working on a new album composed of Peruvian songs”.
How was the group conceived?
After that first concert, I was asked to put together an ensemble with a musician studying at Cambridge with a baritone instrument, like the cello. I instantly thought of Graham Walker, a 19-year-old cello virtuoso who had just won the Unicef prize for best young orchestra director. Like he says in interviews, “He just came up to him in the hallway” and I asked him, why don’t you come and play Latin American music with me?
What was the creative process like?
Graham was under the impression that the music would be written in a score, as is the case in classical music. So, when I told him that there wasn’t a score, he was pretty confused. He was so disconcerted. He told me it was a totally unorthodox way of making music.
But he didn’t abandon the project, did he?
I explained to him that the majority of music is created without a score. Music is an expression of emotions, playing music communicates those emotions to the audience. The hardest part of the process was talking about the feelings in the songs, it’s unusual for an English person to do this, they never talk about their emotions. It’s a private topic to discuss, but it was only way he would be able to play the song with the dynamics that he’d hoped would be written in the score. We began to work on songs such as “El día que me quieras” (The day you love me), “Bésame Mucho” (Kiss me a lot) and “Alfonsina y el Mar” (Alfonsina and the sea).
Is this when Lizzie Ball joined your duo “Latin Serenade”?
Exactly. A year later I was thinking about a third instrument, when we met violinist Lizzie Ball, who had just started her studies in Cambridge. With her the sound was complete. The violin added a more consolidated sound and we formed a trio. She was just the right fit and was ready and willing to join up with us.
Was it complicated getting into the London classical music scene?
It wasn’t difficult because they’d already heard of us. On top of that, Graham studied at the Royal Academy of Music and Lizzie at the Royal College of Music, so that gave us more opportunities to play in concert halls.
How did the British public react to your music?
British people are curious about Latin American music, and even more so for us because our group is made up of two British people and a Colombian. So, in effect we’re a contemporary classical British group. We’re composed of typically classical instruments (piano, violin and cello), and our repertoire is exclusively made up of Latin American folk music. We take a Latin American product and we make it British.
How long has it been since you played in Colombia?
Five years. In 2006 we played at the Teatro Colón in Bogota. It was very exciting because it was the first time I’d played the songs in my city, in front of family and friends in a setting that was very symbolic for me. It was also a challenge. The public there were familiar with the musical repertoire. It was a great success.
Does the staging of your performance differ according to whether you are in the UK or Colombia?
In England we usually explain the meaning of the songs so the public can comprehend and understand the feelings behind each piece. If we explain the music, it gives a more rounded connection. In Latin America, Graham and Lizzie give the introduction because that makes it more emotive. The idea is not to explain the music but to pay homage to the composer.
And thanks to you, Colombian music has reached all the way to Abbey Road studios, where the Beatles, Pink Floyd, Blur and Radiohead have recorded material.
Yes, we recorded the album “Journey through Latin America” there. An eclectic mix of artists took part, along with the choir of St John’s College, University of Cambridge, who sang in Spanish for the first time.
And in the meantime do you still practice as a lawyer?
I’ve never stopped. Right now I’m working as an executive for Land Economics Management Consultants (Lemco), a company dedicated to the protection of tropical forests. In fact, we [Classico Latino] composed a theme for them entitled “Canción de la tierra” (Earth Song).
You arrived in England 17 years ago. How has your experience of immigration been?
When I arrived in London you didn’t need any type of visa because so few people were coming to the UK.
The US, Spain, or France were more common destinations for Latin Americans, they didn’t want to break with their cultural roots. British and Latin American people are very different.
That’s a very different reality to what we see now.
Yes, in the last ten years immigration has quadrupled. The doors they opened then are now closing and there are more and more obstacles in place for those who want to stay in the UK. It’s an unfair immigration policy. Ten years ago there was no problem getting in, and now it’s much harder.
Was it difficult for you to get your visa?
Quite difficult. It took me more than ten years to get dual nationality. The truth is that each time they make it more difficult to obtain a visa. Having said that, if an applicant satisfies the right criteria and follows the correct instructions, they will eventually get a visa.
So you don’t think the doors are closed?
England has small doors with great opportunities hidden behind them. If you wholeheartedly look for opportunities you can find them. England hasn’t closed its doors to anyone, but it hasn’t opened them either. (The Prisma memoirs)
(Translated by Claudia Rennie – Email: claudiarennie@gmail.com) – Photos: Pixabay
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