FYI: CD's will soon be available at this site, thanks for your patience.
Welcome:
Check out all my pages, listen to all the music (most of the music here is an example of the "live" sounds I get).
In my calendar, you'll notice many presentations, the calendar is updated constantly at FACEBOOK I announce events the "week of", so you might also want to be a friend of mine there.
Note that although there are many shows I do with children, I don't ust do that, I present many shows for adults; all ages and family events!!! Yet, the majority of shows I get asked to do are, what I call, INTERACTIVE PERFORMANCES (because people know my activity as pioneer of this technique from way back in the 1980's where I get a ton of people playing the vast collection of native percussion instruments I bring as well as singing "Easy-to-sing" indigenous songs in ancient languages, such as Maya and Nahuatl.)
I always tell people, at my presentations, everyone has a beautiful culture and to investigate it. We are all native to this planet and after studying world culture I have a better word to promote "commonality" because we have so much in common, more than diversity!!! Most of our problems, I feel come from people who only see and point out the differences/diversity and fail to see that their ancient ancestors did the same things! Again, the info is there, we have much more in common that diversity.
All my presentations are about positivity, beauty, education, family, self-betterment, culture and peace! I guess that's political huh?
Biography - MARTIN ESPINO
Martin Espino has researched the music and culture of Ancient Mexico, concentrating on the instruments and their ancient and present day musical practices since 1975. Martin’s indigenous heritage is Yaqui and Tepehuano ancestry. His grandparents are from the states of Sonora and Durango.
In 1966, he began playing music at age 11. By age 13 he was teaching his peers. Since then he has become a very well rounded musician, in that he was first, "street trained" (playing by ear), then "classically trained" and finally, "folklore/indigena trained". In 1978, he graduated from Immaculate Heart College in Hollywood with a "Bachelor of Music Degree in Performance with Honors” in Classical Guitar and performance on instruments of the Medieval and Renaissance eras. He is well versed in acoustic, electric and fretless guitars. He has also studied music from around the world since 1970.
Already an artist since a very early age, he was inspired to study about his ancient heritage after his father showed him indigenous dancers from Mexico on T.V. Back in 1975, when he decided to play these instruments, he did not know that he had become one of the very first musicians in North America to play Ancient Mexican instruments. 45 years later, he has become a recognized scholar and authority of these instruments
Currently, Martin Espino is artistic director of MEXIKA "Sounds of Ancient Mexico", a very active and highly rspectedensemble since 1995. From 1989-95 he was composer/artistic director of NAHUALLI ENSEMBLE, he received many awards from ASCAP and Meet The Composer/CA for "New Traditional Works". He has also composed/performed for theater, video and T.V., commercials and major motion pictures as well as for such artists and ensembles as : Alex Degrassi; Alfredo Lopez Mondragon of Queztalcoatl; ANCIENT GROOVES; The California E.A.R. Unit; Electronic Percussionist Amy Knoles; Hip hop trio, EL VUH; Composers: Elisabeth Waldo, Joseph Julian Gonzalez, Gingger Shankar, John Zeretzke and Brad Kelly; Brazilian luminaries: Junnoh Homrich and Cassio Duarte; Los Conejos Internacionales; Actor/Spoken word artist, Pepe Serna; Indigenous Spoken word artist, VictorE; Poeta/Activista, Naomi Quinonez; NO MAMBO; Paul McCandless of Oregon; Quarteto Nuevo; QUETAL - duo of instruments of Mexico and India; Tamborileros de La Chontalpa de Tabasco; Xipe Totec Danzantes Aztecas and other "Kalpulli's" and Maestro Xavier Quijas Yxayotl.
In the "Classical" realm, Martin has worked with The Los Angeles Philharmonic (2011 & 2012); Quarteto Latino (2011); The Bakersfield Symphony (2009); New West Symphony (1993); Southwest Chamber Ensemble (1989-92); and Immaculate Heart Early Music Trio (1976-77).
Martin also performs on a vast variety of instruments from other parts of Ancient North, Central and South America. Since then, he has met and performed with musicians/folklorists of the following heritages: Acajachemen, Cahuilla and Tongva of native California; Ecuador (Shuar Shaman, Ti Chiriap); Peru, Bolivia (Ernesto Cavour, Rumillajta & Sukay), Brazil and other countries in South America. Back in the late 70's he helped bring Andean musical instruments to North American audiences with Bolivian folklorist, Mario Torrico as part of the duo, Mario y Martin and Grupo Yatiri. In addition, Martin also performs and vast variety of instruments from other counties, before it was called World Music, a term he coined with fellow musician, John Zeretzke back in 1985!!!
He believes in "education, peace and respect of the earth and in knowing one's self/ancestry", which are some of the many topics he covers at all presentations!
