Los Gitanos

Media

"(Bienyameen ia) Brilliant, a virtuoso on any plucked instrument, and A guitarist with fingers nimbler than Speedy Gonzales on amphetamines.”

- The Cape Argus critic Derick Wilson

Members

Bienyameen Camroodien, virtuoso performer, started playing the piano at the tender age of six. At the age of eleven he listened to the blind Jose Feliciano and Paco Pena, and was deeply inspired. By fifteen he was hard at work learning to play flamenco and classical guitar.

Over the years Bienyameen has studied the classical guitar with Classical guitar Maestros Uliano Marchio, Elspeth Jack and Aubrey Viegeland.  In 1988, Bienyameen performed at one of the master-classes of the Classical guitar duo, the Assad Brothers from Brazil, who were stunned and highly impressed with his flamenco technique.  In 1988, Bienyameen completed his music studies at the University of Western Cape.

Bienyameen refined his flamenco skills under the tutelage of the great Pablo Navarro, with whom he performed throughout South Africa. This partnership sadly ended in 1998, when Pablo passed away.  Bienyameen was the Musical Director for the La Rosa Dance Company for 7 years, and the leader of the Latin band "Los Gitanos”, which are both based in Cape Town.

At the 2005 Klein Karoo Kunste Fees, Bienyameen won the Kanna Award for his musical direction of the dance production “Blood Wedding”.

In 2011, Bienyameen returned from Spain after performing in Seville, and having attended master classes with Manolo Sanlucar, who is the Grandmaster of the flamenco guitar, at the Cordoba International Guitar Festival.

In October 2011 he accompanied Angel Munoz, who is one of Spain’s leading flamenco dancers, in the flamenco course which was held in Cape Town by the Spanish Dance Society of South Africa.

Bienyameen has appeared in several national television programmes including Expresso, Pasella, Top Billing and Impressions.

Client Feedback

"It was such a hit! Everyone loved them. They played and moved around the people – it was really awesome. Thanks so much!" - Tanya Smit (Old Mutual); 19 May Booking for Diversity Day @ Mutual Park, Cape Town