Ottmar Liebert
(born 1959) [1] is a German-born composer and guitarist, born to a Chinese-German father and a Hungarian mother. As a child, he spent most of his time traveling Europe and Asia with his family. Ottmar leads an ensemble
called [Luna Negra ("Black Moon"), which has gained popularity performing as a touring band and recording music albums in a "Nouveau Flamenco" style, which may be considered misleading the Washington Post recently stating that "Guitarist Ottmar Liebert's signature "nouveau flamenco" style has more to do with contemporary pop trends than with Andalusian folk traditions" [2]. Ottmar interestingly also claims also to mix elements of flamenco with jazz, bossa nova, Hindu meditation music, and other genres.
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LUNA NEGRA TICKETS
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Malleable, ever-changing marketing
Luna Negra's music is easy to categorize as a pop synthesis of cultural music stereotypes. Because of this, the albums are usually placed in the
New Age section at record stores, although sometimes it is mistakenly filed under
world music from
Spain. Ottmar Liebert has recorded with Luna Negra since 1990, sometimes preferring all-at-once live recording and disregarding customary studio resources like editing,
overdubbing, etc.--but achieving reasonably quality, commercial results nonetheless. Ottmar describes Luna Negra as a "rubber band"--its membership constantly changes as members leave and return. The touring version of the band differs markedly from the one that appears on studio recordings. The only constant members are Ottmar himself and bassist Jon Gagan. Ottmar's brother Stefan Liebert has contributed only occasionally.
The "artist's" evolution
Although Ottmar claims to have been nominated five-times for a Grammy award, he has never won: he also claims he is a "
platinum-selling guitarist and composer", and this may well be true, given that he has always been a commercially oriented musician. Claiming to have traveled extensively through
Europe and
Asia and to have been "intent on fully absorbing each musical tradition (he) encountered", to those who have studied various cultural musical forms, his music rarely displays any great degree of understanding or substantial influence. After attempting to pursue his
rock and roll aspirations first in his native
Germany and then in
Boston where he played in the alternative band RED with his brother "Stayfun" on bass, he claims to have had a local hit with the song "Happy Song". Ottmar then moved to
Santa Fe, New Mexico. By 1989, he had founded the first "Luna Negra" band. The "ground-breaking" album, the somewhat speciously entitled
Nouveau Flamenco
(it neither exhibits any understanding of traditional flamenco, or even any similarity to "New Flamenco" from true Spanish artists, such as Tomatito) began life as a self-produced local release called
Marita: Shadows and Storms
, copies of which local artist Frank Howell distributed in his art galleries. When the record found its way to radio stations and began generating a response among easy-music listeners,
Higher Octave Music picked it up and released a re-mastered version.
Since 1990, Ottmar Liebert has released a total of 25 albums which have tapped into a rich vein of easy-listening demand, including live releases, Christmas CDs, 15 CDs of original music, a DVD and remixes. He claims to have "received a total of 38 Gold and Platinum
certifications" in the USA as well as certifications in Canada, Australia and New Zealand. His debut album is claimed to have sold double-platinum and to have become one of the best-selling guitar albums ever. However, critical aclaim has eluded him: hardcore guitarists and guitar fans, instrumental music
aficionados
and numerous lovers of more poignant, inspired music tend to write his music off as poorly executed pop.
In May 2006 Ottmar was
ordained as a
Zen Monk by
Dennis Genpo Merzel, at the
Kanzeon Zen Center in
Salt Lake City,
Utah.
[who?]
Discography
Studio albums
- Marita: Shadows & Storms
(1989) - Limited to 1000 copies, sold in the gallery of Santa Fe artist Frank Howell
- Got 2 Go (When Love Calls)
(?) - Not published, tape only
- Nouveau Flamenco
(1990)
- Poets & Angels
(1990)
- Borrasca
(1991)
- Solo Para Ti
(1992)
- Santa Fe (Single)
(1993)
- The Hours Between Night + Day
(1993)
- Euphoria
(1995)
- ¡Viva!
(1995)
- Opium
(1996)
- Leaning Into The Night
(1997)
- Havana Club (Single)
(1997)
- Rumba Collection 1992-1997
(1998)
- Innamorare - Summer Flamenco
(1999)
- Nouveau Flamenco - 1990-2000 Special Tenth Anniversary Edition
(2000)
- Christmas + Santa Fe
(2000)
- Little Wing
(2001)
- In The Arms Of Love
(2002)
- The Santa Fe Sessions
(2003)
- 3 is 4 Good Luck
(2003) - Limited Edition Mini-Disc, only sold at 2003 shows and with Trilogy online (In The Arms Of Love, The Santa Fe Sessons, Nouveaumatic).
- Nouveaumatic
(2003)
- La Semana (Digipak/33rd Street)
(2004)
- La Semana (Limited Edition)
(2004)
- Winter Rose: Music Inspired by the Holidays
(2005)
- Tears in the Rain
(Listening Lounge only) (2005)
- One Guitar
(2006)
- Up Close
(20 May 2008)
- The Scent of Light
(17 June 2008)
Greatest hits compilations
- Barcelona Nights: The Best Of Ottmar Liebert Volume One
- Higher Octave Music (2001)
- Surrender 2 Love: The Best Of Ottmar Liebert Volume Two
- Higher Octave Music (2001)
- The Best Of Ottmar Liebert
- Legacy Recordings (2002)
----
DVD / VHS
- Wide-Eyed & Dreaming
(1996 [VHS] / 1999 [DVD])
Featuring Ottmar Liebert
- Kenny Loggins - Leap of Faith
(1991)
- Goody's - Lonely Chaplin
(1992)
- Edith Piaf Tribute - My Legionaire
(1993)
- Asiabeat - Monsoon
(1994)
- Dan Siegel - Hemispheres
(1995)
- Nestor Torres - Burning Whispers
(1995)
- Diana Ross - Take me Higher (European Release)
(1995)
- Celine Dion - Falling into You
(1996)
- Lavezzimogol - Voci e Chitarre
(1997)
- Leda Battisti - Leda Battisti
(1998)
- James Bobchak - Sundance Flamenco
(1999)
- Alan - Azul
(1999)
- Chuscales - Soul Encounters/Encuentros del Alma
(1999)
- Cusco - Ancient Journeys
(2000)
- Jon Gagan - Transit
(2004)
- Jon Gagan - Transit 2
(2006)
- Stephen Duros - Thira
(2006)
- Leda Battisti - Tu, L'Amore e il Sesso
(2007)
- Matthew Schoening - The Art of Live Looping
(2008)
- Roy Rogers - Split Decision
( April 2009)
Produced by Ottmar Liebert
- Chuscales - Soul Encounters / Encuentros Del Alma
(1999)
Notes
- Ottmar Liebert Blog. Retrieved October 11, 2007.
- Washington Post, c/o Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved August 24, 2009.