Nilko Andreas is a New York-based Classical guitarist from Colombia who plays the Carnegie Halls of the world, but can make you sweat with his Latin pop.
We’re not sure which we prefer. Andreas is a commanding presence with an orchestra on a concert stage. But when he plays Pop, you think, “Why isn’t this guy a superstar?” He really grabs you.
If you are planning a seductive evening for a hot, sweaty night after the show, take your partner to Nilko and his side project LaMar.
- Nilko Andreas plays Cumbia (Colombian, Ecuadorian, Peruvian) for the Bryant Park Dance Party in Midtown on Thu, May 12 from 6-8:30pm. Free. 🇨🇴
- Nilko Andreas with Blanca Gonzalez play a “Back to Roots” concert of Latin folk music at Teatro SEA in the Lower East Side on Thu, Jun 9 at 7pm. $25. 🇨🇴
Nilko Andreas Guarin is Mr. Carnegie Hall
“Since his Carnegie hall debut in 2009 Nilko Andreas has captivated audiences in over fifteen countries and three continents as a soloist, Composer and chamber musician performing on such prestigious stages as New York’s Carnegie Hall, Wildthurn Castle in Germany, The Strathmore Hall In Bethesda, Jay Priztker Pavilion in Chicago, Adolfo Mejia Theater in Cartagena, Museum of fine arts in Houston TX, Gandhi Hall in Geneve, Switzerland Teatro Municipal in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Palacio Foz in Portugal, Unesco Concert Hall in Paris, Surabaya concert Hall In Indonesia, Shenzhen Symphony Hall in China , Museo Belber Gimenez in Mexico, among others.”
We lifted that paragraph from Nilko’s press kit so you get the idea. This guy is serious.
A lot of Nilko’s classical work is focused on Latin American composers. Classical music is European, but we have a rich repertoire of Latin American composers including Nilko Andreas himself.
Nilko’s “Amazonas” series of concerts at Carnegie Hall and around the world focuses on music inspired by the Amazon rainforest, part of which is in Colombia.
LaMar NYC is Sweaty Rumba Flamenca
LaMar NYC is Nilko’s Spanish Rumba Flamenco side project. “La Mar” means the sea.
In case you forgot, “Rumba Flamenco” is Flamenco music influenced by the Cuban Rumba. When Cuba was part of Spain, the Spanish Flamenco came and the Cuban Rumba went back across the sea. So Rumba Flamenco is Flamenco with an American influence (not the United States, the Americas).
LaMar is Nilko, bassist Matt Geraghty, and percussionist Reid Andres.
By the way, a lot of us think the Cajón (literally “box”) is a Spanish percussion instrument because it is so common in Flamenco today. Actually the Cajón is Afro-Peruvian. If you are poor, you have to make do. A Spanish shipping box will work just fine. With a little ingenuity, you can tune it like the boxes your ancestors played in Angola and West Africa.
Spanish Flamenco guitar legend Paco de Lucía brought a Cajón back home from a Latin American tour in 1977. Since then it has become so much part of Flamenco, that we think it was always there.
Nilko Andreas in NYC
Andreas and La Cumbiamba NY play traditional Colombian Cumbia at Terraza 7 in Elmhurst / Jackson Heights, Queens on Saturday, October 14, 2017 at 10 pm.
Andreas plays chamber music from Tchaikovsky to Colombian dances at Terraza 7 in Elmhurst / Jackson Heights, Queens on Sunday, October 15, 2017 at 6 pm.
Andreas and LaMarNYC play Latin music at Raymi Peruvian restaurant in Manhattan’s Flatiron District on Friday, October 20, 2017 at 7 pm.
Andreas plays the ColombiaFest IV Cultural Trade Fair at Penn Plaza Pavilion in Chelsea, Manhattan, Saturday – Sunday, October 21 – 22, 2017.
Andreas plays the Guadalupe Inn Mexican restaurant in Bushwick, Brooklyn on Saturday, October 28, 2017 at 8 pm.
Nilko Andreas and LaMar NYC play Communitea in Long Island City, Friday, February 3, 2017 from 7-9 pm.
LaMar plays a Cruise Party on the Cabana Cruise at Skyline Marina on Wednesday, August 16, 2017. Doors open at 6:30 pm. Boat leaves at 8pm.
Amazonas 2013 featuring Nilko Andreas is at Carnegie Hall, Wednesday November 27, 2013 at 8pm.
The night includes excerpts from Giuseppe Verdi’s opera “Alzira” set in the Peruvian Amazon. Brazilian composer Ricardo Calderoni premieres his “Chameleon” Concerto for guitar, clarinet and orchestra. Along with excerpts from the opera “Generalissimo” by Reynaldo Moya, the evening features the world premiere of a piece written for Nilko Andreas by Juan Pablo Carreño.
Nilko Andreas plays “Sounds of the Alhambra,” representative works of Spanish guitar music in Latin America, Thursday, September 12, 2013 at 7pm at Instituto Cervantes.
The Alhambra is the famous fortress (889) in Granada, Andalusia that was built into a palace by the last Muslim emirs of Spain from 1333 to 1492. The Alhambra was later used by Holy Roman Emperor Charles V in 1527. The Sephardic Jews were also prominent in Spain until 1492. Their scholarship and ability to read and write Hebrew, Arabic and Spanish made them a bridge between cultures which produced important contributions to Spanish culture and western civilization as a whole. Spanish culture and music, like the Alhambra, is a blend of all of these influences.
Andreas is taking these influences one step further by playing representative works of Spanish guitar music in Latin America by composers I. Albeniz, F. Tarrega, M. de Falla, F. Sor, H. Villa-Lobos and Gentil Montana. The time of Spanish and Portuguese rule of Latin America produced some very high culture. Andreas is exploring and sharing this with us.
In the video Andreas plays Asturias by I. Albeniz. Asturias is the state in northern Spain that was never fully conquered by the Moors and where the Reconquista of Spain began.
This is a rare chance to listen to Andreas in the intimate theater at Instituto Cervantes in Midtown. What a wonderful way, the day after 911, to look beyond our differences and celebrate the beauty of our shared heritage.
To learn more about Nilko, visit NilkoAndreas.com
