Antonio Forcione

Antonio Forcione
Antonio Forcione during the International Guitar Foundation & Festivals London Guitar Summit 2015 Contemporary Acoustic course at Kings Place
Background information
BornMolise, Italy
GenresJazz
Occupation(s)Musician
InstrumentsGuitar
Years active1990s–present
LabelsNaim
Associated actsEduardo Niebla, Adriano Adewale
Websitewww.antonioforcione.com

Antonio Forcione is an Italian jazz guitarist.

Early life

Forcione was born in a village on the Adriatic shore of Molise in southern Italy. He first toured Italy at age 13 in the 1970s.[1] A few years later he obtained a diploma in art and sculpture from the Art Institute in Ancona where he also studied percussion. For a further two years he studied harmony and mime in Rome, before moving to London in 1983. Unable to speak English, made money by busking in the streets of Covent Garden in London. Within two months he had won an award which led to a BBC television appearance. He was the opening act for the rock band Barclay James Harvest on a European tour, culminating in a concert at Wembley Arena.

Career

He has worked with Bobby McFerrin, Phil Collins, Jools Holland, Zucchero, Pino Daniele, Charlie Haden, John McLaughlin, Trilok Gurtu, Steps Ahead, Leo Kottke, Biréli Lagrène, and Eduardo Niebla. Other groups have included the Antonio Forcione Quartet and duos with Brazilian percussionist Adriano Adewale. He performs in AKA, a trio with Seiku Keita and Adriano Adewale.

Forcione collaborated and toured with comedians such as Boothby Graffoe, Django Edwards, Stephen Frost, Tanderika, and Ursus & Nadeschkin. Between 1992 and 1996 he performed with, and was musical director for, the award-winning musical flamenco comedy group Olé.

Forcione is also a composer, and most of the pieces performed are his own. His compositions show influences from African and the Latin American countries interwoven with classical, flamenco, and Indian rhythms.

Awards and honors

He won Best Spirit of the Fringe Award at the Edinburgh Festival with a resulting tour of Australia, doing both straight music and music-comedy. Other awards include the Award for Excellence in Adelaide, the Premio Enriquez in Italy for musician of the year, and the Premio Internazionale di Cultura Re Manfredi. Reviews of his albums have included his being dubbed "21st century 'Jimi Hendrix' of acoustic guitar".[2]

Discography
  • 1984 Light & Shade (Sol) with Eduardo Niebla
  • 1984 Eurotour 84 (Sol) with Eduardo Niebla
  • 1987 Celebration (Virgin Venture)
  • 1992 Poema (JazzPoint) with Eduardo Niebla
  • 1993 Live at Edinburgh Festival (Inspiration)
  • 1993 Acoustic Revenge (Naim)
  • 1996 Dedicato (Naim)
  • 1997 Meet Me in London (Naim) with Sabina Sciubba
  • 1997 Talking Hands (Naim) as Acoustic Mania with Neil Stacey
  • 1998 Ghetto Paradise (Naim)
  • 2000 Vento del Sud (Naim) with Benito Madonia
  • 2000 Live! (Naim)
  • 2003 Touch Wood (Naim)
  • 2005 Tears of Joy (Naim)
  • 2006 Heartplay (Naim) with Charlie Haden
  • 2006 Antonio Forcione Quartet in Concert
  • 2012 Sketches of Africa (Antastic)
  • 2016 Compared to What with Sarah Jane Morris (Fallen Angel/Antastic)

References
  1. Fordham, John (12 December 2013). "Antonio Forcione – Review". The Guardian.
  2. Josh Jennings (16 August 2012). "Antonio Forcione: Sketches Of Africa". Jazz Shaped. Archived from the original on 30 August 2012. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
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