Paul Bosauder on living and learning flamenco
It started with a trip to Lebanon, a theatre, and a guitarist whose playing stopped Paul Bosauder in his tracks. What followed was sixteen years in Spain, a musical education that reached far beyond the instrument, and a gradual discovery, because learning a tradition also means learning how to be yourself within it.
We loved having the opportunity to chat with Lebanese-New Zealand flamenco guitarist and composer Paul Bosauder ahead of his visit to The Hannah. His second album, Arco y Olvidé, brings together years of listening, practising, composing and accompanying other artists. But at the heart of our conversation was something rather less measurable: how music moves from your head into your entire being.
A guitar, a book, and a whole new language
Paul grew up in a musical family, with guitars around the house, siblings playing instruments, and plenty of opportunities to make music. He played in bands and wrote songs, but his introduction to flamenco came while exploring another part of his heritage.
Visiting Lebanon, where his parents are from, he began working in a theatre alongside musicians from around the world. He thought he might learn some Arabic music. Then he encountered a Spanish flamenco guitarist.
The playing struck him as percussive and melodic. Something in its sound also resonated with the Arabic music he had come to explore. Intrigued, he travelled to Spain, bought a guitar and a book, and began learning both flamenco and Spanish from scratch.
“What I realised really quickly was it was very, very hard, really complex music. It was a whole language in its own right that you just don't have any understanding of coming from the outside.”
The discovery went deeper than difficult fingerwork. Musical phrases carried memories and associations: a grandmother singing, a grandfather’s favourite music, a voice heard working in the countryside. Learning to play meant learning what those sounds could mean to the people listening.
“It's a way of expressing your thoughts, but it's not a technique, it's not harmony, it's not a scale. It's a culture.”
Learning with people, playing for people
That education happened among other learners, who became Paul’s friends and, eventually, his Spanish family. Teenagers and older singers shared the same spaces. Age mattered less than their common interest in music.
Some of those friends went on to prominent careers; others stopped performing. The connections endured. One friend from those early years designed the artwork for this new album.
As Paul began accompanying singers and dancers, his understanding grew through the demands of live performance. Different artists brought different repertoires, keys and expectations. Even neighbouring places could have distinct musical characteristics, calling for a different touch or set of phrases on the guitar.
Preparation mattered. So did the ability to listen and respond in the moment. A singer might introduce an unfamiliar melody, leaving the guitarist to find a way through without stopping the conversation.
“It's incredibly intricate and I feel really grateful to have spent so much time amongst it. You would never really understand it otherwise.”
Making room for his own music
For years, Paul worked to meet other people’s expectations. The discipline taught him a great deal, but it also raised a question: where did his own musical instincts belong?
“Everyone has their own way of living it,” he says. “I had my way of living it too.”
Accepting that his way was valid took time. Encouragement from a teacher helped him begin composing, bringing his longstanding love of writing music into the language he had spent years learning.
Writing within flamenco gives Paul both possibilities and boundaries. Established forms and harmonic expectations offer a framework; his task is to find something personal within it. A familiar chord movement might immediately suggest Spain to a listener, but how can he use it without slipping into cliché? How can a different voicing open up the sound while retaining its character?
There is also texture to consider. Beauty, for Paul, needs some earth in it. With an acoustic guitar and no effects to hide behind, the sound must come from the player’s relationship with the instrument.
The art of forgetting
One of the most compelling ideas in our conversation was the value of putting the guitar down.
Paul recalls a teacher encouraging him to step away from a piece, even after learning its notes. Being able to play something is different from feeling it as part of yourself.
“You can play the notes. But it's not in your bones. It's not a part of your DNA.”
The pandemic brought a longer interruption. Returning to playing afterwards, alongside work and life with a young child, Paul noticed a change. The years of intensive practice were still there, but his relationship with them felt different.
“It didn’t feel foreign to play anymore.”
For him, stepping away allowed what he had learned to settle. Imitation had been a necessary part of developing his skills, but distance helped those skills become available to his own expression.
“Honestly, every musician needs to learn how to forget!”
Bringing that conversation to The Hannah
That sense of ease informs Arco y Olvidé. Paul describes the recording which was made largely through complete performances, with minimal editing. The intention was to preserve the natural sound and feeling of the playing.
The album features collaborators including Indian bansuri flautist Lara Wong, singer Rosario Amador and percussionist Javier Ktumba. For his visit to The Hannah, Paul will be joined by flamenco musicians travelling from Spain, bringing this new chapter of his work to the stage.
He hopes the tour will offer audiences a fuller encounter with music whose depth can be obscured by familiar Spanish imagery.
“It's so much richer and so much deeper.”
For Paul, this music holds years of searching for the right notes, learning to accompany others, and gradually finding a voice of his own. At The Hannah, we’ll have the opportunity to hear where that searching has taken him.
Get your tickets to Paul Bosauder: Arco y Olvidé - Album Tour — Saturday 17 October