It’s a busy time, hopping from one venue to the next across Europe and North America, but guitarist Claude Bourbon said he wouldn’t do anything else.
“I can’t think of many other jobs where people are applauding you and asking for an encore when your job is done,” he said after a tour in Germany, and just before heading to Parksville for a performance on April 21.
Bourbon has been playing guitar since he was 15 years old, and said, “As far as I can remember, I always wanted to play the guitar.”
He learned to play classical guitar at the Conservatoire of Music in Fribourg, Switzerland, where his Spanish guitar teacher had a strong influence on him.
“I’ve always loved Spanish music, the music of the Gypsy, flamenco,” said Bourbon. “I lived among them for a while in the South of France. They had a big influence on me.”
As for his guitar itself, Bourbon’s been playing the same guitar for the last 15 years. “It’s a little bit like sharing your life with an old friend,” he said. “It’s part of the family.”
While reviewers have described his playing as jazz, folk, haunting with a Spanish vibe and “almost indescribable,” he said he develops a bluesy atmosphere.
Bourbon intertwines instrumental pieces with songs, adding his voice to the piece.
Bourbon plays April 21 at the MAC, with the event starting at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 or $12 for OCAC members.