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All the world's a stage, and the Spanish guitar is one of its greatest instruments. Benise is bringing his Flamenco-inspired pieces and tango-infused dance numbers to the stage, leaving all who hear him spellbound in his wake. Benise is a world-renowned guitarist who has brought his unique blend of Spanish guitar and world music to stages worldwide since the early 2000s. His 2022 tour, aptly named the "20th Anniversary Tour," showcases the best of Benise throughout the years by virtue of music and dance.
His passion for the guitar has taken him on an incredible journey from the streets of Omaha to busking in Southern California and finally to the world stage. Known as "The Prince of Spanish Guitar," Benise has been wowing audiences worldwide with his sizzling music and spellbinding dance for over two decades, rocking fans across the globe with his sultry blend of Spanish guitar and world rhythms, winning the hearts of millions of fans worldwide.
The result: a mesmerizing feast of sight and sound from which no audience member will ever want to escape. Benise has truly mastered an international style of music having been influenced by nearly every genre possible, with great depth and passion vibrating underneath.
Growing up on a farm in Nebraska, his devotion to rock music was palpable. That success was just a twinkle in Benise's eye before finally picking up flamenco music in 1994. From there, he met violinist Jim Sitterly, guitarists Gilberto Gonzales and Yussi, bassist Mychal Lomas, drummer Carlos Lopez, and percussionist CG Ryche and formed a band (also) called Benise.
Benise's sound is primarily influenced by flamenco music and incorporates elements spanning Brazilian samba, Cuban salsa, Parisian waltz, African drumming, and more. The magic happens by bringing together musicians from different countries to create a unique sound that melds their cultures through music.
A significant turning point in Benise's career came when PBS approached him to create a show for its "Great Performances'' series. He spent time writing and recording what would become "Nights of Fire!" -- which made its broadcast debut on public television stations nationwide in 2006 and subsequently won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Costumes for a Variety or Music Program.
Since its debut, "Nights of Fire!" has drawn in audiences of all types -- whether or not they have any familiarity with flamenco music. Dazzling lights, dancers and aerial performers make you feel like you're experiencing something transcendent rather than just listening to a concert.
Benise's ability to reproduce sounds from around the world makes him a force of nature. His original style has earned him worldwide recognition, while he continues to push the envelope. Don't miss out on this unique spellbinding performance and see Benise live when he comes to a city near you.
This was my first time to see Benise The Spanish Guitar, I loved it!!!!! I will put this show on my calendar for next year!! Love the beautiful music and all tuthe talent in the show!! I had such a wonderful evening!!! The dancers were awesome!!! If you like music...THIS IS A MUST SEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
In the beginning the music blasting from the speakers was incredibly loud. I think there may have been a few audio problems that were rectified after about two acts. Aside from that it was a wonderful show. But I do wish there had been more noticeable guitar music. The guitar was drowned out by other instruments and pre-recorded music. I would have liked to see some acoustic guitar. The violinist was amazing. Benise was very attractive and the dancers and other musicians were incredibly talented. I enjoyed the show overall and would pay to see it again in a year or so.
Nice performance but the lighting could have been better to focus more on the secone it was dark and hard to see.
the show was pretty good, I enjoyed the theater aspect of the performances. It is remarkable to think that just a few short years ago he was playing as a street performer just a few minutes away from the theater and now he is selling out packed theaters. The show includes dancers and a mix of Hispanic, Latin and Cuban music with a heavy guitar presence. Overall the show was good.
I am always awestruck when watching one of Benise's shows. He is truly a gifted artist and his band members are all outstanding in their own right and each could stand alone but combined they make beautiful music. It is a must see for anyone/everyone!
Great show, great music. Fun, sexy and very entertaining.
The reviews were good, the promo material looked amazing...unfortunately it did not live up to the hype. The music was good but it started to sound the same. The dancers were out of sync and most were average at best. The lead vocalist was downright bad. The entire production could use a professional going over from staging to sets. I liked the theme of travel but the footage looked archival. It's the digital age now.
Excellent performance! The dancing, singing, staging and guitar were all done beautifully! And the venue is small enough for audience to fully enjoy the show in an intimate way. A fest to both eyes and ears!
Indescribable! all the flamenco and the romanticism you need from a spanish guitar. I loved the choreography, outfits, music, everything!
We were a little concerned as when when we got there we had purchased front row seats in front of stage But it turned out a fantastic location up close was wonderful My Friend Jose even got taken on stage by Benise. She is still talking about it today ! She was amazed at being pick the Fox in Riverside was wonderful and show well worth every penny id highly recommend it ! Benise is a great down to earth performer and had a great show full of action
It was a complete package. engaging and enchanting...great music and great dancing...truly talented and walked around in the aisles playing the guitar! the violinist was incredible....all the band members were remarkable...would watch again! became a fan that night since i had never seen them perform!
The concert was great. Benise is so talented he makes playing the guitar like that look so easy. I loved his violinist Omar Lopez. The percussionist was awesome. Loved the dancers. 2 thumbs up!
Terrific musicians, beautiful dancers, perfect size venue.
Fabulous show. Can't wait to see them again. It was hard to stay in my seat and not start dancing to the music. I would see the show again in a heartbeat.
Excellent music, incredible dancing, great seats. Love what they have done to the Riverside Fox Theatre!
Benise is going to have a fan base of "U.S." listeners, but show me his sell out venue's in spain. If Ottmar and Jesse don't get no respect there, certainly this wanna be ain't gettin it. Oh, also he cheats. You don't use a pick to play flamenco, especially a spainish made flamenco guitar. He will never make it to international statis, he may portray that for the his tickets sales here in the U.S., but no way "Ronday" "Ben-iss-say." Your flamenco playing is about as off as your foot work trying to dance. Oh yes, PBS is heartin for memberships and I'm sure there reaching for some preachin. Ronnie, be true to yourself and play what you trained for. I know it wasn't flamenco. This style takes a life time to perfect and you are far from "per-fecting" the style and art of it.
I had been introduced to BENISE on WTTW, So, I did expect a more international mix of music with a more diverse backdrop/video scenery. But, I still did love Benise and my husband really loved the violin player - she was absolutely wonderful. All in all it was a very entertaining evening.
Wow , What a beautiful concert of Music and Dance !! The entire cast was great . I am a great fan of Benise now and will attend other of his concerts !! I love his Spanish Guitar music and Style !
Music and dance- beautiful. This venue was a perfect setting for Benise's latest show. Even the fans got into the positive vibe and the joy was obvious in the seats and on stage. This artist should be booked @ this venue already for his next tour.
Benise's flashing smile is enough to make most women swoon; but if that was not enough, the musicianship and performance level of each and every musician and dancer were phenomenal. A few months ago I had watched Benise on PBS, and I was concerned that this live performance might not be able to compete with it. This performance was even better! Benise and company interact with the audience in such a way that you can feel the heat and rhythm as if you were on the stage with him and his performers. Artists love Chicago audiences, and this audience did not hold back its enthusiasm and love for Benise and his crew. Each dancer and musician were held in awe, and in return the performers put on a show that will remain in our hearts and minds for quite some time.
