BIOGRAPhy

Born in Senegal (Africa) in a half Spanish and French family, Bob Bonastre felt in love with guitar at fourteen. Presented as "one of the next best guitar players"by the French jazz press a few years ago, he has decided after many years of playing electric music with jazzmen in duo and trio, to follow another road, closer to his heart. If jazz, rock and contemporary music belong to his culture, his work on the nylon strings guitar has opened to him a new direction, in which the sound is as important as the note. Great guitarists as Claus Boesser-Ferrari, Tim Sparks or N'Guyen Lê have recognized this quality of sound. Today, he plays his own compositions in solo concerts, introducing a very large language, made of complex harmonies, different techniques like playing with Chinese sticks or pieces of paper and an astonishing three octavias voice. His music speaks about travels, inner travels or around the world, taking the audience from a continent to another one, with always the link of emotion and spirituality. A music where the value of the notes is worth as much as the "virtue" of silence.

End of the Seventies, plays with the jazz-rock band SAGA , in the south west of France ,where he lives.

Beginning of the Eighties, arrival in Paris ,works as guitarist ,composer and orchestrator for many singers.

Many experiences with jazz trios and quartets.

First electric solo concerts( tours in France and Africa).

Duo with saxophonist Philippe Botta ,experiences in trio. Composes music for the Rick Odums Dance Company.

Solo concerts ,composes two creations for the Avignon Theatre Festival.Rewarded at the International Festival of Electric and Contemporary guitar of Lausanne (Swiss).

Works on the extra- European musics, plays at the International Festival of Sacred Music in Fez ( Morocco).

Rewarded at the International Competition of Acoustic Guitar of Osnabruck (Germany), and records there his first solo album ("Existence"). Works on many theatre plays (Radio France..).

Concerts in Paris, festivals in France, tour in Germany, representing France with guitarists Pierre Bensusan, Jean-Felix Lalanne, Yan Vagh, and Soig Siberil.

Trio and solo concerts in France,tour in Hungary (International Acoustic Guitar Festival) with Tim Sparks ( U.S.A ), Claus Boesser-Ferrari (Germany) and Sandor Szabo (Hungary). Concerts in trio with J-Philippe Rykiel (Youssou N' Dour and Salif Keita's keyboardist) and Ravi Magnifique (percussionist with Archie Shepp, Chico Freeman). Organizes steadily guitar meetings in a Parisian club.

Plays frequently in duo with Claus Boesser-Ferrari(Croatia,Germany,France).Creates "From Africa to Latin America",command for quartet from the city of Saint-Cloud.Founds the international guitar festival "Les Automnales" wich takes place at the end of September in Ballainvilliers,a village about 20kms from Paris.