🎶 Latin American Music Challenge | Week 4

Welcome to our tonebase Guitar Community Challenge! For the next few weeks, we’ll be diving into the vibrant world of Latin American music, exploring rhythms, colors, and styles that have inspired guitarists around the globe.

This is your chance to work on masterpieces and hidden gems by some of the most iconic composers:

  • Heitor Villa-Lobos (Brazil) – lush, virtuosic preludes and études

  • Agustín Barrios Mangoré (Paraguay) – romantic, poetic works full of soul

  • Abel Carlevaro (Uruguay) – brilliant studies and innovative techniques

  • Leo Brouwer (Cuba) – modern masterpieces mixing folklore and avant-garde

  • Manuel M. Ponce – sonatas, and romantic masterpieces

  • Antonio Lauro – famous Venezuelan Waltzes

  • Atahualpa Yupanqui – folk-rooted pieces

  • Jorge Morel – virtuosic concert works and arrangements

  • …and many more treasures from across Latin America!


How it Works

  1. Pick your piece(s) – anything from the Latin American repertoire that excites you.

  2. Introduce yourself – share what you’ll be working on and why.

  3. Post updates – you can share progress videos, practice tips, or reflections.

  4. Support others – comment, encourage, and learn together.


📅 When?

  1. Start: September 29th

  2. End: October 30th

  3. Watch Party: October 30th 🎉


Why Join?

✅ Discover new repertoire
✅ Build consistency in practice
✅ Get feedback from peers
✅ Celebrate Latin American music with the community


💡 Whether you’re tackling a full Villa-Lobos Étude, polishing a Barrios gem, or exploring a short Brouwer piece, this challenge is for everyone — from curious beginners to advanced players.

👉 Jump in by introducing yourself below and telling us what you’ll be working on!

Let’s bring the sounds of Latin America to life together. 💃🎶 

172 replies

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    • BLaflamme
    • 3 days ago
    • Reported - view

    Sorry to be late to the challenge but I wanted to at least participate with a work, so to take advantage of the return of my cedar-top, which I was missing for some time, I share with you Zapateado by Leo Brouwer!

      • BLaflamme
      • 3 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Thank you Eric, long story short... I had to make a disconnection with my cedar for a while to fully get used to my spruce and adapt my playing, and at that time a very good friend needed a good guitar... after going to the luthier to get a refresh she is back!

      • Ron.3
      • 3 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Wow! Very impressive Blaise - not a piece I know but you really make it come alive. Very expressive and so well controlled.

      • BLaflamme
      • 3 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Thank you Ron, a very fun piece!

      • Barney
      • 3 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Beautiful performance of this very fun piece!

      btw, your guitar looks and sounds great ( I like the sound and feel of Nylon) !

      • BLaflamme
      • 3 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Thanks Barney, the table just got a fresh French polish!

      • Nijwm_Bwiswmuthiary
      • 3 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Excellent, world class performance, Blaise. Always very impressive.

      • BLaflamme
      • 3 days ago
      • Reported - view

      Thank you for the kind words Nijwm! 🙏

      • Retired
      • Andre_Bernier
      • 3 days ago
      • Reported - view

        Soooo nice Blaise. Complex, refined and attractive. Great playing 👍

      • joosje
      • 3 days ago
      • Reported - view

       beautiful beautiful. Love the piece and such good playing. 

      • Palmer
      • 2 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Blaise, that was so much fun! Great playing.

      • BLaflamme
      • 2 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Thank you Andre, a bit more of Brouwer!

      • BLaflamme
      • 2 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Thank you Joosje, that's definitely one of my favorites!

      • BLaflamme
      • 2 days ago
      • Reported - view

      Thank you Palmer!

      • Retired
      • Jack_Stewart
      • 2 days ago
      • Reported - view

       This beautiful, Blaise. As mentioned your tone is wonderful, your phrasing is as well. You have been able to create very clear separation of the voices. Overall your interpretation and performance is excellent. Bravo! Amazing job.!

      • BLaflamme
      • 2 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Thank you Jack, this work has a lot to offer!

      • Dale_Needles
      • 2 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Bravo! I really like this piece. In someway it reminds me of Carlevaro in how Brouwer combines folkloric rhythms with the use of harmonic dissonance.  I know that Carlevaro and Brouwer met in the mid-seventies in France and that Carlevaro always spoke highly of Brouwer.

      • BLaflamme
      • 2 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Thank you Dale, I agree with you about both of them and with a completely different result!

      • Steve_Price
      • 2 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Very nice, Blaise. I love some of the little tweaks and flourishes you added. It really makes it fresh. And I might steal some of your fingerings, lol. 

      • BLaflamme
      • 2 days ago
      • Reported - view

      Thank you Steve, well some fingerings help in making clearer articulations and rythmes, serve yourself as you see fit!

    • Retired
    • Jack_Stewart
    • 2 days ago
    • Reported - view

    Brouwer Tres Apuntes I update

    This is somewhat better than my initial post. There are still areas to be improved but I think they are of a more long term project. 

      • BLaflamme
      • 2 days ago
      • Reported - view

       This is indeed better than your initial post, everything is more clear, better conducted and better tone. 👍💪

      • Retired
      • Andre_Bernier
      • 2 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Great playing Jack. So much work to get to that level. Bravo👍

      • Ron.3
      • 2 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Well played - definitely better - although I'm not sure what the dog thought 😄

      • Barney
      • 2 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Jack, this is awesome!  Definitely improved from prior recording, and I like the piece more and more as I listen to your performances.  The dynamics  and articulations are better, and direction and overall shape of the piece is clearer.  Bravo!

      • Dale_Needles
      • 2 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Excellent, Jack. This is coming along so well and as Steve previously mentioned, I like how you have integrated those cross strings trills. Bravo!

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