This week, we offer you two productions by the master José Ignacio Franco along with the Israeli guitarist Nofar Yatskan, a beautiful guitar duo they have named with the poetic name “HALEVAI,” which means “hopefully” in the Hebrew language.

Through the ‘Halevai’ project, José Ignacio and Nofar Yatskan have managed to bring together two cities as distant as Jerez and Jerusalem. Almost a year ago, they launched an initiative that aims to “culturally unite two cultural and musical worlds, Spain and Israel.”

Nofar Yatskan began exploring flamenco more than three years ago, just before the pandemic, and after taking a few Spanish guitar lessons in her country, she became interested in this culture. Her desire was further confirmed when she “met a guy in Israel who was studying at José Ignacio’s school and told her that if she wanted to truly experience flamenco, she had to travel to Jerez.” He described it as a special city and the Cradle of Flamenco. She then decided to travel, and upon arrival, she enrolled in José Ignacio’s school where she received lessons from various teachers who introduced her to flamenco.

The excellent connection between the guitarist from Jerez and the Israeli guitarist led them to launch this collaborative project, which started last year with the recording of the piece ‘Jericó’, which we now present to you.

In these two beautiful compositions, “JERICÓ” and “EL RELOJ,” José Ignacio plays our model of flamenco guitar “Homenaje a Marcelo Barbero,” a model built from a guitar by Marcelo Barbero from 1953, one of the greatest guitar makers in history, respecting every detail and maintaining the same measurements, scale, size, and aesthetics as the original instrument.

Its construction involves both artisanal and mechanical processes, allowing for reduced production time and, consequently, a lower final price for the instrument. This way, they managed to create a top-quality instrument at a very affordable price, revolutionizing the current market for semi-artisan flamenco guitars.

In these two compositions, you can appreciate the high-quality sound that this flamenco guitar model provides, a quality that far surpasses that of most semi-artisan guitars on the market today.

José Ignacio Franco started his journey in the world of guitar at the age of 10, under the guidance of great masters from Jerez de la Frontera, such as El Carbonero, José Luis Balao, Moraito, Paco Cepero, Parrilla, Niño Jero, Antonio Jero, among others. Thanks to continuous musical development and extensive training throughout his career, he is now considered one of the most sought-after guitarists in the flamenco scene.

Throughout his career, José Ignacio has had the honor of accompanying renowned figures like Paco Cepero, serving as his second guitarist on stage and sharing a successful world tour. He was also the official guitarist for Capullo de Jerez for 7 years, performing at the most important and prestigious flamenco theaters and festivals. Additionally, he has collaborated with other great artists, such as Luis El Zambo, Fernando La Morena, Agujetas, Tía Juana del Pipa, Luis de la Pica, El Torta, María José Santiago, among others.

From a young age, at just 18 years old, José Ignacio discovered his vocation for teaching and dedicated himself to sharing his knowledge. He began teaching at home and then expanded his work, covering various areas of Jerez de la Frontera, where he specialized as a flamenco guitar teacher. Currently, his dream has come true as he directs a prestigious flamenco school with six teachers, three of whom are experts in different branches of guitar, such as accompaniment to dance, singing, and solo or avant-garde playing. José Ignacio Franco continues to leave a significant mark on the world of flamenco with his talent, dedication, and passion for music.

Without further delay, we present you with these two productions, “JERICÓ” and “EL RELOJ,” which we are convinced you will love!

For more information about the academy, click here: “Academia de Guitarra Flamenca José Ignacio Franco”