Stephen Duros: A Life in Music The rippling, rhythmic sounds Stephen Duros coaxes out of his nylon string acoustic guitar are hard to resist or categorize. His music has roots in the traditional sounds of flamenco, but he’s developed his own style. Bluesy bent notes with a hint of Asia and the Middle East in their tone, a strong single note attack with a flat pick that reproduces the brittle sound of picado (a flamenco technique of playing runs with index and middle finger), octave jumping melodies and rhythms that include suggestions of jazz, reggae, pop and Arab music join the familiar pulse of flamenco’s gypsy rumba in his emotionally satisfying compositions. Duros can produce the lightening fast runs that are flamenco’s trademark, but he usually takes a more measured approach, emphasizing subtle emotional nuance over flashy technique. His playing is featured on Ottmar Liebert’s Grammy nominated album The Scent of Light and on his three solo albums Miranda, Urban Flamenco and Thira, which won Duros a place on the Grammy Ballot for a nomination in the Best New Age Album of the year category, although the album didn’t make it into the final round of the process. Duros played electric guitar in high school rock and metal bands, but hearing flamenco for the first time changed his direction. “When I was 17, a friend played me albums by Paco De Lucia and Ottmar Liebert,” Duros recalls. “I saw flamenco could be approached from different perspectives. Liebert used keyboards and vibes and that intrigued me. I jokingly told a friend back then that someday I wanted to be Liebert’s rhythm guitarist.” Under the influence of flamenco, Duros started playing acoustic guitar and concentrating on recording demos of his own compositions. After moving to Los Angeles, he studied with Paco Arroyo and landed a job doing lights at The Key Club, moving up to Lighting Director in less than a year. When he wasn’t working his “night job,” he was practicing guitar, recording his music and playing clubs. When Toto played The Key Club, they were so impressed with his work on the lights that they hired Duros to be their Lighting Director. He’s still on the road with them, 14 years later. “When I started touring with Toto, I gave one of the crew guys a demo. He played it for the band and (Toto drummer) Simon Phillips offered to record me in his home studio. Working with Simon was an eye opener. Thanks to him, my own recordings became more polished.” His experience with Phillips led to Miranda, Duros’ first solo album. It was recorded in a tiny apartment in North Hollywood on a Roland 16-track machine. “I did the playing and recording myself; a few friends helped out with production and live percussion.” The combination of sprightly rumba and emotionally poignant music that has become his trademark was already in place, adding new ideas to his nouveau flamenco palette. Shortly after completing Miranda, Duros ran into Liebert in the parking lot of The Key Club. He sent him a copy of the album, not expecting anything. “A few weeks later, I got an e-mail from him. He wanted to sell my album on his website and offered me the job of Lighting Director on his upcoming tour. He told me to bring my guitar along.” On the tour, Liebert and Duros played together and connected. “We locked in when we played and it sounded great. A week later, he asked me to join the band as his rhythm guitarist.” Liebert signed Duros to his SSRI label and re-issued Miranda, helping it find a national audience. During his four years with Liebert and Luna Negra, Duros completed Thira, an album influenced by a trip he took when he was a boy. “My family visited Egypt and Greece – one side of my family is from Greece – and the atmosphere of the monuments and ruins made a huge impression.” Duros taught himself oud to bring some oriental flavor to the music and Liebert added his lead guitar work to the title track. Latin and Mediterranean rhythms blend with elements of ambient techno, soft twinkling keyboards, and the bright bent notes Duros teases out of his guitar to produce a smooth, cinematic experience. After leaving Liebert and Luna Negra, Duros moved to the San Francisco Bay Area and began working on Urban Flamenco. “It was a difficult album to record. My wife is a high school teacher, with regular hours, and we just had a daughter. Since I’m a musician, I took care of our baby girl during the day and recorded the album at night. Being a full time parent really changed my perspective and I wouldn’t trade that time with my daughter for the world. I’d work until 1:00 am and get up again at 6:00. I was a zombie, but my wife, daughter and the touring I’d done in Luna Negra inspired some of my best melodies.” The late night hours and lack of sleep allowed Duros to tap into the unconscious side of his creativity and bring forth music with a dreamy, almost trance-like feel. The sounds and sights of the cities he’d visited during his years on the road with Luna Negra were transformed into compositions full of light and color. “Every city has its own feeling, its own inherent music,” Duros says. “I’m as influenced by the locations I’ve been to as I am by the music I’ve heard. A lot of Urban Flamenco was written while I was on the road, walking around new cities with my guitar slung over my shoulder.” Urban Flamenco continues to push the boundaries of modern flamenco. Duros adds restrained, bluesy electric guitar and a funky backbeat to “It’s Electric/City Lights.” The electric guitar mimics the sound of passing ambulance sirens, while jazzy comped chords, subtle Latin percussion and occasional reggae-like accents add to the late night feel. “Bittersweet” blends electric and acoustic guitars, Rhodes keyboards and synthesized strings that would sound at home on one of George Benson’s CTI recordings. “Midnight In Manhattan” is a romantic aural snapshot of The Big Apple with Duros sliding down a ripping river of jazzy bass, alternating between simple flamenco arpeggios and subtle flurries of lead guitar. The techno flavored “Sky Of Pearls” has an energetic galloping beat that works nicely with Duros’ chiming lead guitar work. “Shades Of Red” suggests the soundtrack of a 70s spy film with its sprightly string arrangement, ominous bass line and string accents that bring to mind both Silver Convention and silver disco glitter balls. “One Night in Paris” is the most poignant song on the record, an exploration of indigo moods intensified by the measured guitar work and a dark, droning synthesizer. The album’s laid back feel make it a natural for fans of flamenco, smooth jazz and music for meditation. Duros is currently working on his next album and putting together a band of simpatico musicians to help him bring the sounds of Urban Flamenco to the stage. “When I’m playing live, I don’t worry about anything. When I’m in the zone, I do everything by feel. I close my eyes and let the music flow. I’ve been told that I play with a greater amount of intensity live and work the dynamics of my instrument a lot more. I’m aiming on bringing those aspects of my performance into the next album. “I want to keep making records that explore all the possibilities of the flamenco guitar and continue my musical journey. Music has helped me through the tough times and contributed to some amazing experiences. I want to give back some of the joy and inspiration music has given me. I hope the music I make will affect others the way the musicians I love have affected me.”