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 Flamenco
guitarist Teye was born in Fryslân, the rebel region of the
Netherlands. At an early age he picked up the guitar without
encouragement by his family or surroundings: Teye was on his own
mission. After much traveling all over Europe, he met a group of
gypsies in Spain, who became good friends and offered him the
chance, finally, to learn the authentic flamenco style of guitar
playing, his great true passion. They eventually gave Teye his
honorary nickname: "El Gitano Punky", the rock 'n' roll
gypsy, partly because he fit in so well with them and their
musical culture, partly because of Teye's earlier electric guitar
playing. He was even invited to a gypsy wedding, the highest honor
ever to be given to a "payo" (non-gypsy). The gypsies of
southern Spain are the purest and most gifted of flamenco artists
and it was with them that Teye learned his flamenco playing, both
as a soloist, and in the difficult art of accompanying the song
and the dance. He even became one of the guitarists of their
performing ensemble! His style is very gypsy, but also modern, and
with a good understanding of current western music, and also the
classical guitar technique. His training includes: classical
guitar under Willem van Lier at the conservatory of music in
Groningen, Holland, and rock music at the conservatory of
Rotterdam, Holland under Bertus Borgers and Johan de Poel, where
he graduated cum laude. Teye has studied flamenco guitar with Juán
Muñóz, Paco Peña, Manolo Sanlúcar, Manolo Lozano "El
Carbonero" and José Luís Balao of the "Catedra de
Flamencología" in Jeréz de la Frontera, with Paco Serrano,
and most importantly, the gypsies from Córdoba (the family Plantón),
Morón de la Frontera (with the nephews of Diego del Gastór), and
Jeréz. He was awarded "best guitarist" in the 1988
Dutch GPN. Teye has performed as a flamenco guitarist in countless
solo shows, in guitar duos, in various dance companies, in
Holland, Germany, France, Spain, Czechoslovakia, and America. He
performed with the gypsy company of the Plantóns in Córdoba,
Spain; he accompanied Carmen Cortés on Spanish television. More
recent, he toured extensively in America and Europe as flamenco
guitarist with the Joe Ely band and has played with Bruce
Springsteen, Willie Nelson, Dwight Yoakam, David Lindley, Rick
Trevino, Rosanne Cash, and Lyle Lovett. His guitar playing can be
found on three solo releases, one entitled "El Gitano Punky"
slated for U.S. re-release. He can also be heard on CD's by Huba
de Graaff, Het Goede Doel, RTC, The Gypsy Lips, a 1990 Dutch
Rocksampler, and Austin FM station KGSR "Broadcasts Vol.
4". And on Joe Ely's critically acclaimed albums:
"Letter to Laredo" and "Twisting in the Wind".
He is currently recording a new CD with "Viva Flamenco".
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