Interview: David Gallegos releases Mi Rosa Blanca this weekend

by Erin Rice

Nouveau flamenco guitarist David Gallegos and band will release their second album this Friday and Saturday at 55 Degrees Wine Bar & Bistro in Plano. The CD, Mi Rosa Blanca, is described as combining "traditional flamenco rhythms with serene new age melodies to create an ambient soundscape with a Latin flare."

Gallegos, whose early music career included work with progressive metal band Power of Omens before he moved from San Antonio to Dallas, answers some of PegNews' questions about the forthcoming album below:

PegNews: What was your inspiration for the album title, Mi Rosa Blanca? Is it in reference to anything in particular?

David Gallegos: The reference to the title has a couple of meanings. First and foremost, I always considered my ex-girlfriend, Leslie, my white rose... She was [an] inspiration, not only for the title, but for the entire CD... In fact, that was the very first thing she ever gave me when we started dating. When you look at the CD cover, the rose resembles all of the beautiful memories in what seems like a broken home of pain and loss. I chose to shoot the cover in an old house that was falling apart to represent the pain and frustration of losing what meant so much to me [with] the rose symbolizing those beautiful memories I had with this person.

PN: What sets this album apart from your previous solo effort?

DG: This CD was four years in the making, and in my opinion shows a much more mature, and diverse side of me as a player and as a person - a side that has grown, not only in technique and songwriting skills, but in life, love, and passion. When I moved to Dallas, I was introduced to the flamenco community here and over the years learned and applied traditional flamenco rhythms to my new age / Latin jazz approach. This CD has more of a traditional feel, incorporating such flamenco styles as tangos, bulerias, granadas, zapateados, and rumbas, all blended with the melodies and the new age approach of my first CD. This new disc represents old-world meeting new-world flamenco.

PN: Who/what do you draw inspiration from when writing songs?

DG: All of my inspiration comes directly from life experiences, and in the case of this CD, my ex-girlfriend; the excitement of being with that special someone, experiencing true love, passion, romance, and even the unfortunate pain of losing that love and feeling lost, lonely, and broken inside. I would pull from all different emotions when writing this CD, from happy memories of our cruise to Cozumel, on the track "Cruise on the Ecstasy," or sultry nights of passion on the track "Antes del Alba" (Before the Dawn), to the pain of realizing that she's gone on the track "Now That I'm Alone." Each track was a trip through our relationship, a roller coaster of emotions that spanned more than three years of our relationship. This woman was a true inspiration and will always hold a special place in my heart, but this CD also served as a closure to that chapter in my life. Now, am anxiously awaiting the next chapter to begin.

PN: How many tracks are there and are they all new/original? Where can people get it if they can’t make the show?

DG: The CD contains a total of 15 original instrumental tracks and can be purchased online, either through my website (www.davidgallegos.com), the myspace site (www.myspace.com/guitaristdavidgallegos) for those who use paypal, or through CDBaby (www.cdbaby.com), and soon iTunes, Amazon, and Napster.