Carles Benavent facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Carles Benavent
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Carles Benavent in Berlin, 2012
|
|
| Background information | |
| Born | March 1, 1954 Barcelona, Spain |
| Genres | Flamenco, jazz, progressive rock, pop/rock |
| Instruments | Bass guitar |
| Associated acts | Paco de Lucía Sextet, Paco de Lucía, Chick Corea, Miles Davis, Camarón de la Isla |
Carles Benavent (born 1 March 1954) is a famous Catalan flamenco and jazz bass player. He is known for his special way of playing the electric bass.
Carles Benavent was born in Barcelona, Spain. He started playing the bass guitar when he was thirteen years old. He loved blues and rock music, especially the guitarist Jimi Hendrix.
Carles taught himself how to play jazz bass. He even started a group called "Música Urbana" and recorded two albums with them. He created a new way to play the electric bass, making it sound like flamenco music. He used a pick to create a special plucking style called "alzapúa".
Carles often played a fretless bass. This type of bass guitar does not have metal strips (frets) on the neck. This allows for a smooth, sliding sound. Carles was one of the first to use a fretless bass in flamenco music.
One of his famous performances was a duet with the legendary guitarist Paco de Lucía. They played a song called "Monasterio De Sal" on Paco's album Solo Quiero Caminar. Carles's playing on another song, "Chanela", showed off his amazing rhythm and use of harmonics. Harmonics are high, bell-like sounds made by lightly touching the strings. His style reminded many of the great jazz bassist Jaco Pastorius.
Many famous musicians wanted to play with Carles. These included Chick Corea, Miles Davis, and Paco de Lucía. Carles and Paco de Lucía played music together for 25 years.
A Challenge and Comeback
In 1995, Carles had an accident that affected his left arm. This made him think about his future in music. But he worked hard and recovered well. After playing at the Jazz Festival of Getxo, he began recording his album Fénix. Carles has worked with many artists both in and outside of flamenco music. His unique playing style, musical feeling, and rhythm make him a very popular musician for live shows and recordings.
Carles's Instruments
Carles Benavent plays custom-made bass guitars by Jerzy Drozd. These are called "Barcelona" type basses. He uses both 4-string and 5-string versions. On his 5-string bass, he uses a high C string instead of the usual low B string. This means his bass can play higher notes, almost like a guitar. This helps him play chords and create unique sounds.
Music Albums
Here are some of the albums Carles Benavent has played on:
- Màquina! - En Directo (1972)
- Música Urbana - Música Urbana (1976)
- Música Urbana - Iberia (1978)
- Paco de Lucía Sextet - Sólo quiero caminar (1981)
- Chick Corea - Touchstone (1982)
- Chick Corea - Again and Again (1983)
- Camarón de la Isla - Calle Real (1983)
- Camarón de la Isla - Viviré (1984)
- Paco de Lucía Sextet - Live... One Summer Night (1984)
- Camarón de la Isla - Soy Gitano (1989)
- Carmen Linares - La luna en el río (1991)
- Camarón de la Isla - Potro de Rabia y Miel (1992)
- Paco de Lucía Sextet - Live in América (1993)
- Diego Carrasco - Voz de referencia (1993)
- Nguyên Lê - Bakida (2000)
- Carles Benavent & Josemi Carmona - Sumando (2006)
- Chick Corea - The Ultimate Adventure (2006)
- Quartet (2009, bebyne records)
- Un, Dos, Tres... (2011, bebyne records)
- Iñaki Sandoval - Electric Trio Live (bebyne records, 2015)
See also
In Spanish: Carles Benavent para niños
