World Renowned French Guitarist Pierre Bensusan Will Return to Wilmington

French-Algerian acoustic guitar virtuoso, vocalist and composer Pierre Bensusan will once again tour North America. In early 2020, Bensusan kicked off what turned out to be a much-shortened tour in a wonderful concert collaboration with Wilmington NC's Forward Motion Dance Co and choreographer Tracey Varga. To begin his 2022 tour, on Thursday, March 3rd at 7:30pm he once again joins them, bringing the art of dance together with his unique and inspired sound.

Location: Hannah Block Historic USO/Community Arts Center, 120 South 2nd Street, Wilmington, NC 28401

Tickets: $21 in advance; $25 day of show

Online Ticket ordering: https://www.pierrebensusan.com/store_viewproduct.asp?ID=566

or phone Community Arts Center's Box Office at: 910-341-7860

"After a two year hiatus, staying home, playing, writing and longing to share the music live with you once more, it will be a blast to finally go on tour again throughout the USA & Canada." Bensusan continues: "I'm overjoyed to at last perform my songs from the « Azwan » album, and share my brand new book « Guitar Collection » published by Hal Leonard"

The first leg of this 100 date concert tour which includes guitar clinics runs from March through May, from NC heading West through the southern states, all the way to the West Coast, then up-coast to BC. The second leg will resume in September through November, starting in WA, going East through the Northern states, the Dakotas, Manitoba, The Great Lakes, the Mid-West, Ontario, New York, Quebec, New England, East Coast, back to NC.

ABOUT PIERRE BENSUSAN:

It's as if the guitar has been given free reign to play itself! French-Algerian acoustic guitar virtuoso, vocalist and composer Pierre Bensusan, nicknamed "Mr. DADGAD", has taken his unique sound to all corners of the globe. Winner of the Independent Music Awards for his triple live album "Encore", voted Best World Music guitarist by Guitar Player Magazine reader's Poll, and winner of the Rose d'Or at the Montreux Festival for his debut album, Pierre is recognized as one of the greatest guitar players of the 21st century.

Born in Oran, French-Algeria, in 1957 when France was decolonizing its Empire, Pierre Bensusan's family moved to Paris when he was 4. He began formal studies on piano at the age of 7 and at 11 taught himself guitar. Influenced in those early days by the folk revival blooming in Britain, France and North America, Bensusan began first to explore his own diverse musical heritage and then moved to the horizons beyond. He signed his first recording contract at 17 and one year later his first album, "Près de Paris" won the Grand Prix du Disque upon his debut at the Montreux Festival in Switzerland.

Described by the L.A. Times as "one of the most unique and brilliant acoustic guitar veterans in the world music scene today", Pierre's name became synonymous with contemporary acoustic guitar genius, long before the terms New Age or World Music were invented. He has literally created a style of playing with the ability to make a single guitar sound like an entire band as he brings the audience on a mesmerizing musical journey. And yet, Bensusan is more than what any musician or music lover expects from a guitarist. He is a composer as well as a bilingual and original and improvisational vocalist, with his own scat technique.

Immortalized by the tune 'Bensusan' written in tribute by the late Michael Hedges, and referenced as an important inspiration to many other great musicians, Pierre Bensusan is a one-of-a-kind artist whose music transcends genre and time, with an uninhibited sense of musical freedom and expression, a sense of something both playful and serious, otherworldly yet right here; right now. His "manner" of playing defies classification - crossing world, classical, jazz, traditional, folk, pop and more. None can be isolated as simply "World Music", "Celtic", "Arabic" or "French"; rather, they represent Pierre's genuine vocabulary and the best part of our world in its current state, a world sharing itself. Not to be missed!

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