While Flamenco is resting comfortably on its newly-awarded World-heritage laurels, Miguel Iven simply puts on six brand-new strings, rolls up his sleeves and works away as effortlessly and unexcitedly as ever. That´s the way we know him on stage: as an utterly endearing and interesting dialogue-partner, as a friend. A clear response, a powerful tone and all but sparingly used melody-lines have always been a trademark of his compositions. This warm-hearted anchorman and flamenco guitarist will have to get used to the idea of being acknowledged as the German founding father and doyen of Flamenco. During the 1990s he became the German voice of Flamenco at the NDR-radio. Even back in the 1980s he was already living together with Gitanos in the caves of Sacromonte near Granada, where he refined his guitar play until the legendary dancer and choreographer Manolo Marín engaged him as a regular guitarist in Sevilla. Five CDs speak a clear Iven-Flamenco-language, featuring zappy runs, crisp rasgueados and gruff Alzapuas. He has a long-existing, loyal fan-community in Andalusia, the cradle of Flamenco.

What he presents now is not a guitaristic solo-run, but a multi-coloured cross-country journey with guest musicians and foreign influences through the stylistic variety of the Flamenco world. Percusión y Palmas, Violin y Altosax, Castañuelas y Cante and Viola y Cello are an enrichment for this recently released sound-carrier – Flamenco entre amigos. The guitar still remains the hub and physical centre of Miguel´s wonderful compositions, and followers of the pure teachings of por Soleá will find what their hearts desire, too. The guest musicians – here first and foremost Conny Sommer with his keen sense for delicate and pushing rhythms – blend in so harmoniously with Miguels pieces as if they had never done anything different. Miguel Iven´s great strength and merit is simplicity in the complex, his goal being music and not par force note-hunting. That is why this rich production manages the balancing act between Flamenco traditions and modern influences not only successfully, but par excellence.

Ralf Bieniek
Chief Editor
ANDA – Flamenco Magazine
Translation: Birke Bossmann