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.[1]
Contents |
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 Ponty, 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.[2]
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.[2]
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.[3]
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.[4]
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, 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)[5] appeared in early 2006.
According to their official website, "After four years, Willie and Lobo will be reuniting for a 2011 tour!".[6] No other info is offered.
,