From Nicaragua to LA...with One Stop his Debut Release, Café Fuego is indeed Caliente as is his band, Espino. The small town of Granada, Nicaragua is an unlikely beginning for a virtuoso guitarist the caliber of Roger Espinoza. But then nothing about this uncommon artist is exactly as it seems. The sound emanating from the family piano often filled the Espinoza home. Roger (senior) would often treat the family to his musical prowess during informal family gatherings. It was here for the first time that Roger jr. delighted to the melodies that would come to be the heart of his signature style throughout his adult years. The chance at a better life brought the Espinoza's to the "new world." When he was just three years of age, Roger, his brother Dexter, mother Nora and father Roger Sr. all sought their fortune in America, moving to the island of Manhattan. By the age of seven, Roger's family had made another move -- this time west and the young Espinoza found himself living in Hollywood. His musicality began innocently enough as a member of a choir. At LA's St. Kevin's church, young Roger Espinoza sang with the "Kevinettes" and started a musical journey that has culminated with the release of his New World Music debut, Café Fuego. But the finesse and artistry the virtuoso displays on the instrument today came from an unlikely inspiration. "As soon as I heard the group KISS and Van Halen, myself and my friends grabbed tennis rackets, put wax paper over the strings, shiny Christmas garland over the handles and made air guitar history." With mom making costumes, the boys wearing wigs and brother Dexter on the drums/chair, as Ace Frehley, Roger cut quite the figure. He remembers, "We were KISS. We would invite the neighbors over to our house and charge twenty-five cents admission. Then one night, as my brother was playing his solo on the drums/chair, I lit a smoke bomb - in the house. Needless to say, that was our last paid gig in that house." The small fire may have been extinguished, but Espinoza's desire to perform had been ignited. Attending Virgil Junior High School in L.A., Roger's musical journey continued on. Singing in the choir and playing the baritone, trumpet and trombone in the school band, the aspiring musician also began taking guitar lessons. While his acoustic version of Pasadena's pride Van Halen's "Could This Be Magic" (from their Women & Children album) wasn't exactly a crowd pleaser, Roger was hooked and his musical course charted. Although the bass guitar purchased by mom in the 8th grade intrigued him, Roger soon discovered it was the melody, not the rhythm that moved him. So as the bass was moved to the closet, Espinoza moved on, graduating from Virgil to John Marshall High in the Los Feliz area of the city. Continuing his musical studies, Roger's love for baseball was also blossoming, as an all-star catcher for his High School "Barristers" varsity league. By the 10th grade he had joined a heavy metal band called "Rumble Fish", performing gigs after school anywhere the group could. He studied and experimented the Blues and after High School classes ended, had an awakening of sorts. Soon after High School graduation, for the first time ever, Roger heard something new in college, -- the sounds of the Gypsy Kings. His life would never be the same. Roger muses, "Right then and there I knew what I wanted to do with the guitar and with my music. Immediately, Espinoza began studying with Jorge Strunz of the ever so popular guitar duo Strunz and Farah. Roger studied the "Latin rhumba" and "Gypsy rhumba" as well as those rhythms from Latin America and the Middle East. He was perfecting the rhythm style of his new idols the Gypsy Kings. He studied Flamenco rhythms with good friend Paco Arroyo and Gino D'Auri. Roger is now expanding his musical studies as a student at the world acclaimed Berklee School Of Music.
With the release of his debut, Cafe Fuego, Roger Espinoza is poised to make his mark. His favorite tracks include: cut number one, "Day in Alhambra" which was inspired by one of the older cities in Spain (it is also the country where Espinoza purchased his favorite Conde Hermanos guitar in the town of Madrid); cut number four, Monteverde whose flavor comes from the Costa Rican city which is home to the rain forest (you can hear the rain forest at the beginning and conclusion of the piece); track number six, Gypsy, which was inspired by the wonderful guitar music performed by the homeless Gypsies of Sevilla and finally; cut number ten, Goodbye (Pops), an homage dedicated to his father who although stricken with cancer, was able to see his son and namesake perform before a sold-out audience at the Sunset Junction Festival prior to his passing.

The c.d. is inspired by the artist's travels around the globe and his unique perspective on music of all forms. It is dedicated to his father, Roger Sr.

**Also, I dedicate all my musical compositions to my family. Without their support I would not see the next day of light. I love you Melissa, Alexa, Ava...

NEWS

REVIEWS
World C.D. Reviewer
Joe Hartlaub

Roger Espinoza is Nicaraguan by birth, but has lived in Los Angeles since he was two years of age. He is a multi-instrumentalist, but his primary instrument is the Spanish guitar which is his instrument of choice on CAFE FUEGO. CAFE FUEGO is not a complicated CD, no real surprises here, but Espinoza's playing is exquisite throughout. The arrangements here are unobtrusive; for the most part, it's bass, and drums, with some occasional keyboards and, to keep things exotic, flute on one track ("Monteverde") and accordion on another ("Granada Tropical"). While they keep up quite nicely, they at no time do they get in Espinoza's way. This is as it should be; too often, with projects such as these which are primarily instrumental in nature, the featured player faces a dilemma: pick sidemen who are not his equal, thus potentially damaging the project, or bring in accompanying musicians commensurate with his level of musical prowess, and risk becoming a guest on his own project. Here, Espinoza is definitely first among equals.

The tracks herein, all of which are composed by Espinoza bassist/keyboardist Mike Paganini, are for the most part spirited and uptempo instrumentals. There are no real surprises, but certainly no disappointments. There is some occasional vocal accompaniment ("Gypsy") but the focus is always on Espinoza and his guitar stylings. Espinoza is fast, but not dazzlingly so. If one were to compare his style to a rock guitarist, he is closer to Carlos Santana than to the notice-that-his-fingers-never-leave-his-hands style of, say, Alvin Lee. The music here is stirring, but won't necessarily shake you. Espinoza is an impressive talent who undoubtedly has more to say and will almost certainly be given the opportunity to express it in what forum he chooses. CAFE FUEGO is a confident, if tentative first step in what will be a long and successful career journey. http://www.cdreviewer.com

Cd Dish Reviewer
Michael Allison

I recently got into the flamenco guitar style by listening to several independent artists. I was amazed that and acoustic guitar could be played this way. I found a new world of passion and excitement that I didn't know existed. Roger Espinoza certainly shows how that style can be infectious. Café Fuego is definitely one extraordinary album that captured my ear for several hours one evening. Roger certainly has the guitar prowess to light the string ablaze with his style. I simply love the passion behind his music as well. Songs like Amigos & Gypsy are two of my favorites from the album, but I truly enjoyed the entire disc. There's such a freedom in Roger's music that one simply can't help but fall in love with this album. Café Fuego is one seriously incredible album, and one of the things that makes my job just that much more enjoyable. It's just too bad everyone doesn't make music this good. By: Michael Allison (Associate Writer)