🎶 Latin American Music Challenge | Week 4

LIVE
martin.3
3 days ago
90replies

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

Pick your piece(s) – anything from the Latin American repertoire that excites you.
Introduce yourself – share what you’ll be working on and why.
Post updates – you can share progress videos, practice tips, or reflections.
Support others – comment, encourage, and learn together.

📅 When?

Start: September 29th
End: October 30th
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. 💃🎶

- Eric
- 18 hrs ago
- Reported - view
Assad- Valseana (Oct 22)

Here's another go at this after another week of practice. It's maybe incrementally better. My slurs still need work. I am trying to memorize it, but it's just not there yet.
- Ron.3
  
  2 min ago
  
  Reported - view
  Excellent Eric. Love your phrasing - superb!
- Steve_Price
- 15 hrs ago
- Reported - view
Leo Brouwer - Preludios epigramáticos - #3 Alrededor de tu piel, ato y desato la mía

Leo Brouwer wrote this set of preludes based on the poetry of Miguel Hernández. This one is based on a love poem he wrote for his wife, written while he was in prison for opposing Franco. He died in prison a couple of years later, before the book was published.
- Dale_Needles
  
  14 hrs ago
  
  Reported - view
  Well done! Very atmospheric, a bit haunting and well presented.
- Retired
  
  Andre_Bernier
  
  12 hrs ago
  
  Reported - view
  Very nice Steve. Bravo👍
- Retired
  
  Jack_Stewart
  
  11 hrs ago
  
  Reported - view
  This is really interesting, Steve. I am aware of these preludes but I don't know them. You have done a great job with the phrasing and tone. Thanks for sharing this.
- Amateur with too little time and bingeplayer with sore arms and fingers
  
  Lars_KjollerHansen
  
  8 hrs ago
  
  Reported - view
  One more Brouwer piece you have tackled. Impressive!
  BTW it made me smile when you in n earlier post mentioned the two Steve Morse pieces. I remember someone mentioned them to me because I played fingerpicking (inspired by Stefan Grossman) then. I actually learned those two. 45 years ago. I have never met anyone mentioning these pieces elsewhere since.
- Palmer
  
  2 hrs ago
  
  Reported - view
  Lovely Steve! A very introspective piece.
- Barney
  
  1 hr ago
  
  Reported - view
  Nicely played Steve! Great mood created!
- Steve_Price
  
  1 hr ago
  
  Reported - view
  Thanks, Dale. I think haunting is the right word. I couldn't make sense of Brouwer's take on the poem until I learned about the context of the tragedy of Hernández's life. The main phrase gradually shortens throughout the piece, until it's only a single measure ending on the "wrong" note, all of which really brings that haunting feeling out I think. This has been a really enjoyable challenge.
- Steve_Price
  
  1 hr ago
  
  Reported - view
  Thanks a lot, Lars. Glad to send you happily down memory lane, lol. I know you meant Steve Howe, but Steve Morse had the solo piece Modoc, so he fits right in with the others (I've always thought Morse was tremendously underappreciated and should be up there among the greats).
- matt.1
- 13 hrs ago
- Reported - view
Here's my week 4 of Candombatan. Still not quite there by almost!
- Retired
  
  Jack_Stewart
  
  11 hrs ago
  
  Reported - view
  You have the first (and last) part really nailed in Matt. Great playing. With a little more focus and time on B you'll have this mastered. Great work
- Amateur with too little time and bingeplayer with sore arms and fingers
  
  Lars_KjollerHansen
  
  8 hrs ago
  
  Reported - view
  coming well along. I enjoyed it. I do not know this piece or the composer before, but you represent him well👍🏻
- Palmer
  
  2 hrs ago
  
  Reported - view
  Very nice Matt! I don't know this composer, so especially fun to hear something new.
- Steve_Price
  
  57 min ago
  
  Reported - view
  Nice work on this. I went through my scores and forgot I had his Cinco Preludios. I vaguely remember working on some of them years ago, so this will be fun to work on after the challenge. Thanks for putting him back on my radar, and well done on the piece.