The first time we heard Manuel Cabrera II, it was on Youtube and the song was Tango En Skai by Roland Dyens. He blew us away with his expressive use of dynamics and control over his playing. It is our honour to introduce his playing to readers of Play Guitar Singapore. Manuel Cabrera II will be playing at the Esplanade on the 2nd of Apr (Sat) - be sure to catch him there!
Tell us more about yourself. Describe your style.
I graduated from the University of Santo Tomas Conservatory of Music in Manila, and later on obtained my Masters degree in Music from Elisabeth University of Music in Hiroshima, Japan. I competed and won in several local and international guitar competitions including 1st prize at the Nippon Guitar Competition, one of Japan’s most prestigious competitions for guitar.
I play mainly classical music, and I do like to play blues sometimes for fun.
I see that you have a concert coming up, would you like to tell us more about it?
Yes, I will be doing a solo concert at the Esplanade Recital Studio on April 2, 2011( Saturday). I am very excited about it as I have prepared a very interesting program. Although I have performed at the Esplanade in the past, this will be my first full program solo concert in Singapore.
Who are your influences?
I would say Ruben Reyes, my guitar teacher from the UST Conservatory of Music. I was very fortunate to have had a very good mentor and I’m proud and consider myself lucky to have studied the guitar under him.
What made you choose the guitar as your instrument of choice? Why the nylon-stringed classical guitar in particular?
I was a Beatle fanatic as soon as I started listening to music, so guitar was the obvious choice. I basically learned how to play the instrument trying to learn all of their songs. By the time I was 18, I decided I wanted to continue playing the guitar so I went and applied to study at the UST Conservatory where I was introduced to the classical guitar. I was fascinated with the technique. At that time, I was amazed at how classical guitar players could play both the melody and accompaniment at the same time. I guess the better question is why I continue to play the classical guitar, and that’s because I think it is one of the most expressive of all the instruments, it is very personal and I myself am moved every time I play the instrument whether in practice sessions or in front of an audience.
Which songs would you recommend to Play Guitar Singapore readers for an introduction to your music?
Roland Dyens’ Tango en Skai
Brouwer’s La Ciudad de las Columnas
Tell us a bit of your history as a musician in Singapore?
I moved to Singapore in 2006 to accept a teaching job offer. I haven’t really had much chance to perform in concerts since I was new here, but I did a small recital and masterclass for the Toah Payoh Guitar Club in 2007, and was also a guest performer at the “ASEAN Serenade” concert at the Esplanade, also in 2007.
What are you doing nowadays?
It’s close to a month before my concert, so these days, I’m pretty much just practicing my repertoire as much as I can.
Are you teaching right now?
Yes, I do teach full time at a music school but I also give private guitar lessons at my home studio.
How would you approach learning a song? For us, what has been the most effective way of practicing?
Usually I look through the score first and try the most difficult passages of the piece, and see how I can work around them like deciding on the fingering. Then I would read and play through the whole piece to get a rough idea on how I would deal with the phrasing and interpretation. After that I’ll spend around 90% of the time doing slow practice. I think the most effective way of practicing is doing really slow practice. It not only trains your fingers to be efficient and accurate but it also makes you more aware of what’s happening in the music.
Could you list the guitar gear that you use live for your performance? Do you, like many classical guitarists, not use a microphone for your guitar in performance? If so, could you share what is the reason for not using a microphone with our readers?
I use a 2004 cedar top guitar by Richard Howell (Fleta copy). I usually do not use amplification except of course when I perform with an orchestra or with a larger ensemble. I think most classical guitarists including myself would prefer not using amplification as much as possible because it takes away the natural beauty of the sound of the instrument.
Any advice for budding musicians in Singapore?
Learn how to keep your love and enthusiasm for your instrument. It’s what drives us to practice harder and do greater things.
What do you think of the music scene in Singapore?
The problem with classical music is that it doesn’t have the mass appeal of rock or pop music, but I think with the continued efforts of the government to promote the arts including classical music concerts, and with a great venue for these types of events like the Esplanade, concert going will gradually become a part of the Singapore culture.
Do you think that the internet is a good or bad thing for music? Your view on illegal music downloading?
I think it’s both good and bad. It’s bad because through illegal music downloading, the artists/composers are not compensated for their work. On the other hand it’s good because everything becomes easily accessible, and the exposure that the artists get through the internet helps them reach a much wider audience.
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