Album Notes

Oscar Lopez's Latin guitar groove has made him a standout on the world music scene. Never afraid to venture into different genres, Lopez easily incorporates jazz, blues, and even pop sensibilities into his music.

For James Keelaghan the inspiration is boundless in the songs he collects or composes himself. Many of his songs are narratives and weave fascinating stories. James’ vocals resonate with the passion of those stories. His guitar work is especially intricate and captivating.

It is a wonderful occasion when these two individual soloists and multiple award-winning guitar players and friends team up in their special project known as The Compadres. The Compadres music takes you on a musical journey and ranges from instrumentals to heavenly harmonies to the highly danceable. Songs like ‘Bump Me Up’ and “Lamentos’ motivate you to dance in the same way as the Gypsy Kings. Then sit back and listen to tracks like ‘Coast to Coast’ and feel the passion in their music. ‘The Kiss’ takes you in another direction of folk and melody.

Keelaghan and Lopez have been performing off and on as The Compadres since 1993. Their fist CD together in 1997 was a Juno nominated critics’ favourite and the long overdue follow-up is sure to continue in that tradition. Their music together is described as ‘celtino’, a distinctive blend of Celtic and Latino flourishes that combine to create a new hybrid. The duo is ‘a Canadian story, different cultures coming together to create something truly unique’.

Accolades for James and Oscar include multiple Juno awards, sell out shows at the Jack Singer Hall, Calgary, to a live performance at the Lincoln Centre in New York. 2007 saw them performing in a critically acclaimed tour of Australia.