{"id":177,"date":"2024-12-07T00:33:58","date_gmt":"2024-12-07T00:33:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/masymas.co.uk\/home\/?page_id=177"},"modified":"2024-12-07T03:32:43","modified_gmt":"2024-12-07T03:32:43","slug":"about","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/masymas.co.uk\/home\/about\/","title":{"rendered":"About"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Rikki Thomas-Mart\u00ednez<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Rikki Thomas-Mart\u00ednez<\/strong>: musician, multi-instrumentalist, composer, songwriter, filmmaker, and educator. His diverse musical journey spans a rich blend of genres and cultures, drawing inspiration from his mixed cultural and multilingual heritage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rikki trained in his mother’s home town, Madrid under the tutelage of El Entri, one of Spain’s leading Gypsy Flamenco guitar masters, this experience has deeply influenced his work, which combines Flamenco, Latin, Afro-Cuban, Caribbean, and both British and American musical traditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For over 30 years, Rikki has been the bandleader, composer, and driving force behind the internationally acclaimed group M\u00e1s Y M\u00e1s<\/em>. Under his leadership, the band has released several albums and toured extensively around the world, captivating audiences with its Latin fusion of global sounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rikki\u2019s musical expertise extends to collaborative projects across diverse cultures. Notably, in 2008, with M\u00e1s Y M\u00e1s, they recorded the album La Bala<\/em> with the legendary Cuban musician Chaguito and his players at the studio of El Septeto Nacional<\/em> in Havana, Cuba. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

His work has also brought him to prestigious stages such as the Borneo Rainforest World Music Festival<\/em>, where he has performed regularly, sharing his music with international audiences. His collaborations span a wide array of artists and musical traditions, enriching his understanding of global rhythms, styles and instruments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, Rikki is a passionate educator, working in schools, festivals, and theatres, leading workshops and performances for people of all ages and abilities. His songwriting and musical creations, which feature a multilingual approach in English, Spanish and French, have been performed internationally and at prominent venues such as The Royal Concert Hall<\/em> and The Playhouse<\/em> in Nottingham. Rikki has also led adult songwriting groups and was the lead facilitator for the Royal Concert Hall\u2019s artist training program, focusing on concerts for young people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2020, Rikki co-created the Strumiboom<\/em> music video series with Dalila Goumeziane and Mimi Thomas, which gained attention with appearances on the BBC. His artistic vision extends to film, where he has produced documentaries and music videos, including the critically acclaimed El Entri: Gypsy Master of Flamenco Guitar<\/em>, a documentary exploring the life and legacy of his Flamenco mentor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n