Costa Rica, a country of verdant exuberance, of lush rain forests filled with the echoes of monkeys, of scarlet macaws soaring like flames across the turquoise sky, of giant iridescent blue butterflies, of crystalline waterfalls, of the descendants of indigenous people who once long ago fashioned exquisite gold animals and perfect stone spheres and of Africans whose vibrant musical pulse makes the heart dance and brings joy to the air — a little country, a bridge between continents, cultures, and seas. A child born into this beauty and cultural richness, his imagination filled with these brilliant colors nourishing a creativity as endless as the jungles, plays a guitar that can never forget these roots, with hands that can’t help but weave the magic of his primal memories. Jorge Strunz Oreamuno, many of whose forebears came to Latin America over a century ago and included Spanish immigrants as well as a German and a colorful Scotsman who fought by the side of Latin Americas’s liberator Simon Bolivar and kneeled at his deathbed, was destined to leave his native Costa Rica to return, decades later, guitar in hand, to receive two premier awards of artistic merit bestowed by its President.
At the age of six, Jorge’s favorite uncle took him to the capital’s central mercado and bought him a small guitar. Thus began Jorge’s life-long devotion to the guitar — he has never been away from it.
Jorge was born into a musical milieu filled with the many diverse styles of Latin American music — Afro-Caribbean, Andean folk, Brazilian, Argentine, Paraguayan, Mexican — and classical music, especially Spanish, and, most influential for the young Jorge, flamenco music, which formed the focus of his early all-consuming autodidactic studies. Sabicas, Mario Escudero and other Spanish gypsy guitar players were his earliest inspirations. He began performing flamenco guitar professionally at the age of 17, accompanying Spanish singers and dancers. Jorge’s father arranged auditions with flamenco guitar artists Carlos Montoya and Juan Serrano, who both encouraged the teenager to pursue his dreams of a career as a guitar player.
Jorge’s father’s career took the family to live in many different countries. The boy’s first contact with North American music came when he was quite young, living for a short time on the border between Arizona and Mexico. Canada and England were also home for periods of time, during which he was exposed to the popular folk forms of Anglo-American and English music. He also lived in Spain, where he was still further influenced by Gypsy flamenco guitar players.
While living in New York as lead guitarist and composer in various rock groups, he met producer Bob Thiele who introduced him to the music of John Coltrane and Miles Davis, which became influential to his musical vision. Later still, he studied East Indian raga with long-time Ravi Shankar student, Harihar Rao. Through this association, he came to know and collaborate extensively with Dr. L. Subramaniam, the great South Indian violinist. After having assimilated so many diverse influences, Jorge’s task was one of synthesis. In order to harmonize the dizzying array of styles, Jorge returned to his Latin American and Spanish roots, but with the freedom of improvisation afforded by his study of jazz.
At that point, Jorge felt that the realization of his vision would be facilitated by a move to Los Angeles where he could find the musicians he sought to form an ensemble. He formed Caldera, a Latin jazz-fusion ensemble. Named Billboard’s top new fusion band of the year, the group made 4 records for Capitol and performed nationwide.
Jorge then felt the need to return to his acoustic roots and, with that in mind, envisioned a music for two guitars as the centerpiece. Jorge’s visionary work with Ardeshir Farah in Strunz & Farah is known to many fans worldwide and is recounted on the Strunz & Farah website.
Jorge has almost single-handedly introduced Latin American folk styles into modern American instrumental music. During the 80s, long before any “world music” category even existed, Jorge was blending Latin folk, flamenco, and jazz improvisation into a style hitherto unheard of. Jorge dubbed it “Latin Guitar”, a style that now has many, many followers worldwide.
