Karel Kalaf

Height: 170 cm / 5ft 7in	Eye color: Black
Weight: 75 kg / 165 lbs	Hair color: Black
Ethnicity: Latino / Hispanic	Hair length: Short
Skin color: Tanned	Hair type: Straight

2012

• Musical Director for Beatles/ 60s Cover Band : Responsible for musical arrangements, sound engineering and lead and backing vocals in 4 and 5 star resorts in Greece for the tourist season

2011

• Cassandra Award for Concert of the Year : Lead Guitarist with internationally renowned band Los Hermanos Rosario
• Modern Music Theory and Practice : Modern Arrangement and Composition and Improvisational Techniques
• National Conservatoire : Degree in Musical Education and Classical Guitar.

2010

• Tropico de Sangre film score : Collaboration with reknowned Grammy Award Winner Manuel Tejada.
• Notre Dame High School (U.S. Curriculum) : Head of Music

2009

• Opening Act for Juan Luis Guerra in Argentina : Playing in front of an audience of 30,000 people in Buenos Aires
• Sin Miedo Album (by Janio Lora) : Producer, Composer Arranger. Worked with Grammy Award Winner Allan Leschorn.
• Auro y Clemt. : Guitarist for Dominican Punk Band.

2008

• Viva America Festival, Madrid : Played in front of a crowd of 60,000 people with World Music artist Victor Victor
• Allan Leschorn. Grammy Award Winner. : Session Guitarist

2007

• National Contest for Classical Guitar : Winner, First Prize in the Dominican Republic

2006

• Chichi Peralta, Grammy Award Winner : Session Guitarist.

2004

• Tonada Para un Querer. Xiomara Fortuna : Arranger, Producer, Guitarist for album

2003

• Session Guitarist : Working with numerous projects and styles (rock, jazz, blues, Latin, salsa, merengue, folk, reggae, bossa nova, samba, bachata, classical, among others)

2002

• Marel Alemany : Musical Director. In charge of a twelve piece band. Played in numerous countries and invited to a number of festivals in Cuba, Dominican Republic, Argentina, Spain, France, U.K, United States, among others

1992

• Guitar Tutor : Teaching a wide range of styles

Guitar ability

Expert

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Bass Guitar ability

Intermediate

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Keyboard ability

Intermediate

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Favourite genres

• Pop
• Rock
• Indie
• Metal

• Jazz
• Classical
• Country

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Influences: All.

I am a well-known and respected musician with exceptional international experience. I am currently based in Edinburgh and am looking to collaborate with other like-minded and equally experienced professionals as either a session guitarist, a performer in a band and/or a music tutor.

With over fifteen years of professional experience, I hold a BA in Classical Music and Teaching from the National Conservatoire in the Dominican Republic. I was awarded the prize for Classical Guitarist of the Year in 2007 and have also produced tracks for film and radio. In 2008, I represented my country at an International Guitar Festival in Cuba and have also been invited to perform in a number of countries including the UK, Holland, Argentina, France and Spain, among others. In 2009, as the Artistic Director with the band Marel, I travelled to Buenos Aires on tour where we opened a concert for the legendary Juan Luis Guerra. I was also a special guest representing my country at the recent Viva América events in Madrid.

I play and teach a wide variety of musical styles including classical, rock, jazz, blues, Latin, funk and merengue. My work has been featured in films, most recently in the film El Trópico de Sangre. For a concert I played in with the world famous ensemble Los Hermanos Rosario, we were awarded the Concert of The Year in 2010 at the coveted Cassandra awards in the Caribbean.

Below is a selection of just some of the artists with whom I have collaborated, performed, arranged, recorded and produced in the past.

I have shared the stage with internationally renowned acts, including:

Fito Paez (Argentina)
Alejandro Filio (Mexico)
Cristian Castro (Mexico)
Danny Rivera (Puerto Rico)
Pablo Milanes (Cuba)
Frank Delgado (Cuba)
Nico Brina (Switzerland)
Eros Ramazoti (Italy)
Pedro Guerra (Spain)
Ismael Cerrano (Spain)

I have played and/or recorded with all of the following acts and performers:

Grammy Award Winners:

Chichi Peralta
Manuel Tejada
Allan Leschorn
Sandy Gabriel

World Music/Merengue/Bachata

Los Hermanos Rosario
Danny Rivera (Puerto Rico)
Xiomara Fortuna
Jose Antonio Rodriguez
Said Carbonel (Cuba)
Guarionex Aquino
Victor Victor
Maracande

Rock and Latin:

Marta Heredia (Latin American Idol Winner)
Nico Brina (Switzerland)
Leo Susana
Tony Almont
Pavel Núñez
Marel Alemany
Transfusión
Luis Días
Vakero (Rapper)
Auro y Clemt
Audrey Campos
Frank Ceara
Janio Lora

Classical:

Ruben Gonzalez
The Santo Domingo Classical Guitar Quartet