Holly Blazina
Artist
Canada
Influences: Middle Eastern , North African , North American
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TRACKS
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BLOGS
 
Transcendencia Transcendencia, the debut album from expert Flamenco guitarist, Holly Blazina, is a testament to modern influences combined with care and respect for the tradition. To maintain authenticity, Holly prepared for this album by immersing herself in the Flamenco culture and workshopping her original compositions with master Señor Paco Fernandez in Seville, Spain. The compositions and arrangements on  Transcendencia   explore the full expressive capacity of the nylon-stringed guitar while bringing in modern elements not traditionally found in Flamenco, such as saxophone, violin, piano and santur (Persian dulcimer). With palmas, percussion and vocals associated with the genre,  Transcendencia   brings Flamenco into the wider musical community to see it flourish. “… an extension of the flamenco musical style with an added dimension, and it’s very effective.” Terry Robins - The Whole Note Read the Whole Review The album is available now.  CD Baby:  https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/hollyblazina iTunes:  https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/transcendencia/id1275773586 more
On Friendship and Composing One of my good friends maintains that a musician’s relationship to their art is very much like any other relationship; it takes time, care and attention, it has its own dynamic and needs nourishment. I agree! Like any other encounter with a friend or lover, every time I write a piece the experience is different. Sometimes two friends spontaneously meet and have a 20-minute conversation in the grocery store (guilty!). It’s rare anymore that the two decide in that moment to share a coffee, but I have been known to abandon my plans and spend the afternoon noodling around with some unanticipated passages when the Muse appears. Sometimes a person comes to mind, so you find a moment to pick up the phone in hopes that the time is right for them, too. If so, two hours can pass in an instant and then you feel satisfied that all is right, even if all the world’s problems are not solved. Sometimes you can play ‘phone tag’ with the Muse for some time before you’re able to connect… Last year I planned a show with dancers and knew which forms they’d be performing well in advance. When I arrived for rehearsal the day before the show, I felt like one of Santa’s elves as I gifted each dancer with a falseta (musical component) for their dance, written just for them. For me, friendship is an extension of the way I study life – discourse and example help to clarify a view or better understand of an aspect of things. So, too, is my ongoing study of flamenco, which often culminates in a new piece. When I’m intending to write a full piece in a specific  palo  (flamenco sub-genre), it often starts with a playlist and a road trip or a glass of wine with a flamenco buddy. It might then move to learning some traditional material to play in dance class with my students. Eventually, it has been worked and reworked until something original appears – yet it still references the tradition. Have you ever had a friend you don’t see for long periods of time but the moment you’re together it’s as if you were never apart? Some compositions have been like that for me. They come together over a period of years, yet they somehow manage to be fully integrated. Others are like love affairs – intense and consuming, and then they’re done. One of the pieces on Transcendencia was written over a 12-day artist retreat at an ashram (a yogic spiritual centre). I was given a private cabin overlooking the lake with a mandate to finish & perform the piece within the allotted time. I arrived having done all the preparatory work and the Muse delivered with more than enough material to appropriately fit on one recorded track, plus some extra material to accompany a dance. Like any friendship, I need to uphold my end. If the Muse calls and I don’t pick up, of course nothing will happen and eventually, it will stop calling. On the other hand, if I remain open, available and without expectation or agenda, the relationship is always productive. more
PHOTOS
 
Photo by: Holly Blazina
About: Transcendencia
Photo by: Holly Blazina
About: Guitar School
Photo by: Holly Blazina
About: A Musical Journey through the Chakras
Photo by: Holly Blazina
About: Home Concerts
ABOUT
Guitarist Holly Blazina creates an immersive world of beauty and sound that draws in music lovers and Flamenco aficionados alike. The notes emanating from her instrument disarm unsuspecting listeners as they are ushered into an ethereal experience that is exotic, evocative, buoyant and deeply nourishing.As her music saturates a room, an event becomes an occasion and a live concert blossoms into an exhilarating journey. Holly’s music is a catalyst for true communication, weaving its magic amongst those present to incite deeper connection, increased creativity and an atmosphere of genuine collaboration.When first exposed to Flamenco’s passionate, soulful melodies and driving rhythms, Holly knew she had found her home musically. This quickly led to a lifelong commitment to the art of Flamenco. Holly regularly performs as a soloist, in traditional Flamenco ensembles, as well as with other musicians from the jazz, classical and world music genres, delighting and inspiring audiences wherever she plays.Holly produces her own public and in-home concerts and has built a sizable following of repeat private event clients. She was a featured guest at both the Calgary and Edmonton International Flamenco Festivals, and participates as an instructor and performer each year at Calgary’s Classical Guitarfest West.Holly has had the good fortune of studying intensively with renowned artists both in Spain and North America. Having completed a Bachelor of Music degree in classical guitar performance in 1994, Holly loves to share her knowledge with aspiring guitarists as well as professional musicians, offering private lessons, accompaniment classes, workshops and online courses. Her upcoming recording, Transcendencia, received funding from the Canada Council for the Arts and FACTOR. It features her original compositions and was released October 13, 2017.

"Blazina’s playing is clean, crisp, and idiomatic - especially in Invocación, the solo final track with its excellent tremolo - and the contributions of the nine other musicians fit in seamlessly. A lovely recorded sound adds to a highly entertaining disc.” ~ The Whole Note