El Paso, TX – UTEP announces the 15th year anniversary of La Guitarra’s School of Music with a spectacular concert featuring Mario Otero and the Adventurers at UTEP’s Dinner Theatre on November 16 & 17 at 8 pm.
Tickets go on sale October 5 at 10 AM at the UTEP Ticket Center, Ticketmaster outlets, www.ticketmaster.com and 915-747-5623. Tickets priced at $23. Applicable service charges may apply.
This one of a kind concert will feature music from Otero’s latest album, Down at the Pass. This musical event will also mark the first time in 20 years [since his flamenco group La Vienta ] that Otero will perform with his electric guitar. “I was always intrigued by the flying melody‘s of Carlos Santana and Jeff Beck, and I spent countless hours in my bedroom at my mother’s house learning licks from all the great guitarists of the age”. The flamenco group La Vienta was nominated for a Grammy award in 1993 and climbed to #17 on Billboard’s jazz charts, surpassing David Sanborn, Lee Ritenour, and Chick Corea. That group, consisting of Mario Otero and Stefan Schyga, disbanded in 2002, after which Mario began his music school La Guitarra, which teaches 250 students the art and skills of guitar, violin, piano and voice, and also employs 13 UTEP student teachers at any given time.
His latest group, The Adventurers, is comprised of Josh Alvarez (Bass), Erik Boseman (Drums) and Bernard Brown (Keyboards). Other special guests will also accompany Mario with his flying melody electric guitar music. There will also be an acoustic guitar set in which even more special guests will be present.
“The concert will be eighty-five percent original songs from my albums. The rest will be cover songs from some of my favorite artists: Jimmy Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan and Jeff Beck, to name a few.”
Otero, New Mexico born and Texas raised, graduated from UTEP with a Bachelors in Arts in 1992.
“This new group is a dream come true. After running my business for so many years, which I thank God for, and raising 2 children, I have a chance to perform once again and reach and raise an audience to their feet, a joy that only a few can experience” Otero said. Otero is a maestro of acoustic guitar and is best known for his instrumental music. Mario added how important it is to him “. . . to have a talented group of musicians playing and giving me the foundation to reach God and the people in the audience. Only the man upstairs knows what will happen from here”, Otero concluded.
This concert is one of two that will be celebrating the 15 years of La Guitarra School of Music. On Saturday, December 22nd at 12 Noon in the El Maida Shrine Auditorium. For more info on this event, contact La Guitarra at 915-842-8808.