It’s not so much what Forcione plays, nor the variety because that wasn’t extensive, it’s what he actually does with an acoustic guitar that is nothing less than mind-blowing.
The sounds and effects, the clarity and incisiveness of over-printed melodies, and the rhythms – no doubt born into every sinew of his frame – make him one of the most exciting, yet unpredictable, musicians. It is easy to see why after busking in Covent Garden, London, for two months after arriving in England unable to speak the lingo, he had won an award which led to a TV appearance. He plays with a Latin passion and, because of that, expects his audience to forgive – even not to notice – his lapses of memory. Which, of course, he overcomes in a particularly, would you believe Latin, way.
Somewhat annoyingly (to me, at any rate) he fiddles with his techy knobs and switches during his pieces, even to the extent of missing the odd beat – but, he does it with a Latinesque flourish. Surprise, surprise… And, for all I could hear in the back row of a sell-out audience, his announcements could also be in Latin. They may well have been.
But, like the rest of his show, he’s completely at one with his audience, held in the palm of his hand. And he’s unpretentious enough to mix with his audience.
He was the cover star of Corsham Festival brochure back in 2002. How fitting to see him back for this 10th – and best – festival.
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