The Stickista Guillermo Cides is an Argentinian musician recognized internationally for his concerts and CDs played with the Stick. A pioneer in solo Stick concerts in his country, Cides has performed a large number of concerts in different countries throughout a musical career of more than 15 years, becoming one of the most highly regarded players of this instrument.
The Stick
The Chapman Stick combines bass / chords and guitar, is hung diagonally on the chest and is played by tapping the strings with the fingers of both hands simultaneously with a piano-like logic, transforming the musician into a tactile percussionist. It was invented by the Californian luthier Emmett Chapman in the 1970s and is at present hand-made by its inventor.
Biography
Guillermo Cides was born in Córdoba (Argentina), lived in Olavarría and studied medicine for 3 years at the University of La Plata, then established himself in Buenos Aires and started to work specifically in music, influenced by his friend and musician Sergio Petaco.
Initially as the guitarist and then bassist of the band La Cruz (together with his brother Marcelo Cides), he encountered the Stick in Argentina in 1992. He bought his first Stick with the money that he was earning as a peddler in the streets of Buenos Aires and learned to play it without any teachers. Eight months later he offered the First Solo Stick Concert in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in the Nativo bar, beginning a musical career that continues to this day.
During the period ' 92 / ' 94 he dedicated himself to playing in alternative jazz and rock venues in Buenos Aires in order to learn and practice on his instrument. He was in the custom of creating spontaneous improvisations in the underground bar The Dragoon, the place where bands such as Las Manos de Filippi were formed, with those who shared the post-dictatorship philosophy nights at that time. In the same way he was frequenting the jazz venue El Subsuelo where he met the famous violinist Jorge Pinchevsky and the singer Viviana Scaliza (Blacanblus) with whom he also shared stages. In the same period he was invited by the musician Carca to form part of the final lineup of Tía Newton, a band in the rock/progressive style.
In 1994, the sound engineer Guillermo Zuloaga asked him to produce his first solo CD which was edited at the end of 1994, called The Inner World of the Planets. It is considered to be a significant CD inside the world of the Stick. The inventor of the instrument Emmett Chapman wrote to Cides in a letter: " ... you have made real what I had in mind when I designed this instrument " after listening to his first work.
In the same year he took part in a seminar directed by the British guitarist Robert Fripp in Gándara, Argentina. There he made contact with Los Gauchos Alemanes with whom he would share concerts. The same year he played at a dinner for some of King Crimson members and he met the Stickista Trey Gunn. At that time Gunn declared in a radio interview: " ... the best Stickista that I have seen in my life lives here and is called Guillermo Cides." (The Intruso-FM Alfa broadcast programme).
In 1995 he decided to found the first Stickistas' Center in Argentina offering information and classes to musicians from his country, forming a generation of new stickistas and creating the first Stickistas' Ensamble Argentino, with which he carried out tours. His solo concerts were highly considered by the newspapers of his country. Finally he achieved recognition as an artist in the written media despite the lack of support from a multinational label. He appeared on TV and complete interviews were dedicated to him. He was invited by the musician Lito Vitale in two occasions to appear on his television programme Ese amigo del Alma.
In the years ' 97 and ' 98 he presented his shows in theatres and carried out national tours. He also collaborated with artists from his home country on CDs and concerts, including Antonio Birabent (with whom he recorded the song "Across de Universe" which was included in the tribute CD to the band Sumo), Santos Luminosos and Dengue among others.
In 1998 he edited his second CD album called Primitivo, this time with several guests and other instruments. In the same year he began to present his concerts in Europe. He travelled to London on several occasions and came to know Fish (ex-singer of the group Marillion) sharing stages as guest artist more than once. In that year Cides also opened concerts for Emerson, Lake & Palmer, John Wetton (Asia), Rick Wakeman (Yes).