Willie & Lobo
Encyclopedia
Willie & Lobo is a World Music
musical duet composed of Willie Royal (violin) and Wolfgang "Lobo" Fink (guitar). Meeting in 1983, Willie & Lobo produced 10 albums before disbanding in early 2007.
, Stephane Grappelli
and It's A Beautiful Day
, as well as sitting in with Gregg Allman
and Dickey Betts
, Willie traveled the world, absorbing numerous musical styles before moving to Mexico in the '80s.
Wolfgang "Lobo" Fink was born in the Bavarian town of Teisendorf
. At 18, while in the German navy, he picked up his first guitar. Listening to an album by gypsy guitarist Manitas de Plata
drew him to the music. Upon leaving the navy, he found de Plata in a gypsy camp in Southern France and spent a while with him and his people. Returning to Germany, Lobo formed a flamenco group named Lailo, touring Europe for three years and helping to popularize the modern gypsy sound. His searches led him to Granada, Spain, living with gypsies in the caves of Sacromonte
and studying their ways. He traveled to Mexico in 1980 as a solo act.
The pair first met in San Miguel de Allende
, in Mexico, where they were both working at Mama Mia's restaurant. Willie on fiddle and Lobo on flamenco guitar jammed on occasion, searching for an individual sound. The owner of a local bar they were both playing at suggested they perform together.
In 1996 the novel Puerto Vallarta Squeeze
, by Robert James Waller
, was released. Waller, a fan of the duo's music, wrote them into the story. The CD The Music of Puerto Vallarta Squeeze was released at the same time and included are tracks from Fandango Nights, Gypsy Boogaloo and Between The Waters.
Caliente was released in 1997, followed by Wild Heart in 1999, Siete in 2000, Live in Concert in 2001 and Manana
in 2003.
A compilation, Gypsy Romance: Exotic Flamenco Guitar and Violin appeared in 2005.
Zambra
(“Zambra” is a Gypsy word meaning a gathering of musical merriment and it is also a dance done by the women of Spain) appeared in early 2006.
,
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
musical duet composed of Willie Royal (violin) and Wolfgang "Lobo" Fink (guitar). Meeting in 1983, Willie & Lobo produced 10 albums before disbanding in early 2007.
History
Willie Royal was born in El Paso, Texas, the son of an Air Force lieutenant colonel. His travels took him to Turkey, Germany, France and Florida and other exotic places. At the age of eight he began classical violin lessons, quickly becoming proficient enough to become the concertmaster of his high school orchestra. Inspired by the music of Jean-Luc PontyJean-Luc Ponty
Jean-Luc Ponty is a French virtuoso violinist and jazz composer.- Early years:Ponty was born into a family of classical musicians on 29 September 1942 in Avranches, France. His father taught violin, his mother taught piano...
, Stephane Grappelli
Stéphane Grappelli
Stéphane Grappelli was a French jazz violinist who founded the Quintette du Hot Club de France with guitarist Django Reinhardt in 1934. It was one of the first all-string jazz bands....
and It's A Beautiful Day
It's a Beautiful Day
It's a Beautiful Day is a band formed in San Francisco, California in 1967, the brainchild of violinist David LaFlamme.LaFlamme, a former soloist with the Utah Symphony Orchestra, had previously been in the band Orkustra, and unusually, played a five-string violin...
, as well as sitting in with Gregg Allman
Gregg Allman
Gregory Lenoir Allman , known as Gregg Allman, is a rock and blues singer, keyboardist, guitarist and songwriter, and a founding member of The Allman Brothers Band. He was inducted with the band into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Georgia...
and Dickey Betts
Dickey Betts
Forrest Richard "Dickey" Betts is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, and composer best known as a founding member of The Allman Brothers Band. He was inducted with the band into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 and also won with the band a best rock performance Grammy Award for his...
, Willie traveled the world, absorbing numerous musical styles before moving to Mexico in the '80s.
Wolfgang "Lobo" Fink was born in the Bavarian town of Teisendorf
Teisendorf
Teisendorf is a municipality in the district of Berchtesgadener Land in Bavaria in Germany....
. At 18, while in the German navy, he picked up his first guitar. Listening to an album by gypsy guitarist Manitas de Plata
Manitas de Plata
Manitas de Plata . is a French Gitano flamenco guitarist.-Life:He was born in a Gypsy caravan in Sète in southern France...
drew him to the music. Upon leaving the navy, he found de Plata in a gypsy camp in Southern France and spent a while with him and his people. Returning to Germany, Lobo formed a flamenco group named Lailo, touring Europe for three years and helping to popularize the modern gypsy sound. His searches led him to Granada, Spain, living with gypsies in the caves of Sacromonte
Sacromonte
Sacromonte is a neighbourhood of Granada, in Spain. It derives its name from the nearby Sacromonte Abbey, which was founded in 1600 on the hill of Valparaiso outside the old city, and is built over catacombs ....
and studying their ways. He traveled to Mexico in 1980 as a solo act.
The pair first met in San Miguel de Allende
San Miguel de Allende
San Miguel de Allende is a city and municipality located in the far eastern part of the state of Guanajuato in central Mexico. It is 274 km from Mexico City and 97 km from the state capital of Guanajuato...
, in Mexico, where they were both working at Mama Mia's restaurant. Willie on fiddle and Lobo on flamenco guitar jammed on occasion, searching for an individual sound. The owner of a local bar they were both playing at suggested they perform together.
Virtually one listen or one concert was all it took for many fans to become lost in their sound, which Royal describes as somehow sounding like it was made by four musicians instead of two.
Discography
In 1993 they released their first album, Gypsy Boogaloo. 1994 saw the release of their second recording, Fandango Nights.In 1996 the novel Puerto Vallarta Squeeze
Puerto Vallarta Squeeze
Puerto Vallarta Squeeze is a novel by Robert James Waller, which was made into a film in 2004. Originally published in 1995 and subtitled The Run for el Norte, this unlikely romance follows an American expatriate and his Mexican girlfriend on a road trip with a former Marine...
, by Robert James Waller
Robert James Waller
Robert James Waller is an American author, also known for his work as a photographer and musician.-Life:Waller received his B.A. and M.A. from University of Northern Iowa . He received his Ph.D...
, was released. Waller, a fan of the duo's music, wrote them into the story. The CD The Music of Puerto Vallarta Squeeze was released at the same time and included are tracks from Fandango Nights, Gypsy Boogaloo and Between The Waters.
Caliente was released in 1997, followed by Wild Heart in 1999, Siete in 2000, Live in Concert in 2001 and Manana
Manana
Mānana Island is an uninhabited islet located off Kaupō Beach, near Makapuu at the eastern end of the Island of Oahu in the Hawaiian Islands. In the Hawaiian language, mānana means "buoyant"...
in 2003.
A compilation, Gypsy Romance: Exotic Flamenco Guitar and Violin appeared in 2005.
Zambra
Zambra
The Zambra, also known as the Zambra Mora is a flamenco dance performed by the Romani people of Granada which is believed to have evolved from earlier Moorish dances and has some similarities to belly dancing. In Maghrebi Arabic spoken in Morocco, zambra means "party"...
(“Zambra” is a Gypsy word meaning a gathering of musical merriment and it is also a dance done by the women of Spain) appeared in early 2006.
Reunion
According to their official website, "After four years, Willie and Lobo will be reuniting for a 2011 tour!". No other info is offered.External links
- Official website
- Willie's Facebook page
- Lobo's Facebook page
- YouTube videos
- Video of Willie Royal and the Locos at Future Studios, June 2008
,