Meet Cristian Puig | Flamenco guitarrist and singer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Cristian Puig and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cristian, why did you pursue a creative career?
I come from a family of flamenco artists, my mother is a singer and my father was a guitarist, I followed in the footsteps of my parents.when I was a teenager I wanted to be a soccer player, it was my dream, for different reasons I had to leave it, and I worked on different things, until on my birthday my mother gave me a Paco de lucia tape… and I blew it head…and I immediately wanted to be able to learn to play what I was listening to. And so I was learning and enjoying flamenco art.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
The difference that I find personally is that I dedicate myself to a very specific art such as flamenco without being Spanish, I am excited to know that when I finish a concert people ask me what part of Spain I am from and I answer that I am from Buenos Aires Argentina ! It makes me happy because I know I did things right. At first in my native country it was very difficult to make a living from art, I spent 3 years playing for free in dance academies to learn.
At the time I started working in the tablaos of Buenos Aires for 10 or 12 years, traveling for performances in Brazil Uruguan Paraguay and Chile and in the year 2000 I had the opportunity to travel contracted to play in a tablao in NY
It was very difficult to adapt at first, I didn’t know how to speak English and NYC seemed like a crazy city to me, it scares anyone.
But everything changed when I started playing in Spanish tablaos and restaurants. i had different experiences, from playing on the subway to playing at the white house in 2009 for mr president Obama.
What I learned throughout my career is that I haven’t learned anything yet, and that the most important thing is to enjoy what you do from your feelings and your mind.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would take him to the beach, one of the most magical places in the world, I would take him to museums, to eat places with ocean views, and to listen to music

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
first! definitively to my mother Gloria Monrreal, second to the greatest of guitarists for having changed my life Paco de Lucia.

Website: www.cristianpuig.org

Instagram: @cristianpuigflamenco

Facebook: cristianpuig

Youtube: cristian puig flamenco