RUMA BARBERO Ruma is one of the two original members of the band along with Ígor Medio. They two started playing together in the late 80's and formed Felpeyu in 1991, while their 'exile' for their studies of Fine Arts at the University of Salamanca, together with bros. Cástor and Félix Castro, from Ourense (Galicia). Though Ruma was the band's first piper on the early years (taught by piper Manolo Quirós) he currently concentrates in bodhran and percussions, since his solid playing is essential for the band's strong backings. He is also the one who introduces our sets and songs on our live performances. Ruma comes from Somió (conceyu Xixón) and lives in Xixón.

 

XUAN NEL EXPÓSITO Xuan is our box accordion player. Though he started out as a piper at a young age (he was taught by piper Xuacu Amieva, and played pipes with the asturian band Llan de Cubel in their beginnings), he choosed the box accordion as his main instrument, becoming the accordionist who kept alive the techniques of the asturian box accordion by teaching all a young generation of accordion players. He also had been working on ethnographic researching groups (such as Andecha Folklor), and provided us with several tunes that currently form part of our repertoire. He had played box accordion with the asturian band Boides before joining Felpeyu in 1994. Xuan comes from Villamiana (conceyu Uvieo), and currently lives in Uvieo.

 

ELÍAS GARCÍA Elías is also known for being an original member and bouzouki player of the superb asturian band Llan de Cubel. He started out as a fiddle player in the early 90's, becoming one of the fiddlers who recovered the asturian techniques for the instrument; he guested on our first CD "FELPEYU" playing fiddle on a couple of songs, and he finally joined the band right after the recording in 1994. Elías is very busy lately playing with Llan de Cubel -Fernando and Lisardo are doing most of the 'fiddling' live-, but he joins us everytime he can on fiddle, bouzouki and background vocals. Born in Uvieo, he currently lives in Meres (conceyu Siero).

 

ÍGOR MEDIO Along with Ruma, one of the two longest members of Felpeyu. Ígor has an heterogeneous background; he grew up into an atmosphere of choral and Asturian singing -which both his parents and family developed- and was into classical music studies and blues/rock experiences before being introduced to folk music, developing a personal and eclectic way of arranging and performing asturian traditional music. He played guitar and mandolin in the band, choosing the bouzouki as his main instrument afterwards; he currently plays bouzoukis, guitar -only on studio-, bass pedals, and sings lead and harmony vocals. Ígor was born in Xixón (Conceyu Xixón), where he also lives.

FERNANDO OYAGÜEZ Fernando, our only 'foreign' member (he was born in Valladolid, Castilla-León), plays fiddle and background vocals. He started out under a classical education, but soon he choosed the roots of the folk music becoming a versatile fiddle player due to his experiences playing different folk musics with several formations. He had played with the castilian group La Bazanca before joining us in 1997; he keeps on playing castilian music -we recently included a set of great castilian tunes he taught to us in our repertoire-, though he concentrates on the asturian repertoire since he plays with us. Fernando moved to Xixón a few years ago, where he is currently based.

DIEGO PANGUA Diego, by far the youngest member amongst us, is also our most recent musician joining the band in late 2001. He grew up into an atmosphere of traditional and folk music, starting out with Asturian bagpipes under the teaching of his father, Pedro Pangua. He took part on prestigious bagpipe competitions, winning the Remis Ovalle Award (twice), the Ciudá d'Uviéu Competition or the Macallan in Breizh, and he is currently researching the use of foreign bagpipes ornaments on the Asturian bagpipes. He was also a member of the Fonte Fuécara Bagpipe Band, and lately he is collaborating with the Ethnographic Collective Muyeres. Other than bagpipes, he is also our wooden flute player (he is self-taught, though he was also taught by Marcos Llope of Llan de Cubel later on). Diego is based in Posada de Llanera (conceyu Llanera).

 

LISARDO PRIETO Lisardo is a pixuetu, from El Pitu (Conceyu Cuideiru), joining Felpeyu last 1999. He started out playing asturian bagpipes -as lots of asturian musicians do- until he got interested in fiddle thanks to the playing of another pixuetu fiddle player, Guzmán Marqués, from Cuideiru; after a few years improving his technique in Asturies and abroad and researching on the application of asturian bagpipe ornaments on the fiddle, Lisardo is currently the main fiddle teacher in Central and Oriental Asturies. He plays fiddle and background vocals. He currently lives in El Pitu.

CARLOS REDONDO Carlos is the member of the band with the major and more variated professional experience. He has been working intensively in rock music as a musician, teacher, producer and sound engineer, though he is mainly known in Asturies as singer and bass player of the legendary asturian pop-rock band Los Locos. He got introduced to folk music in the early 90's by producing some asturian bands; Felpeyu was one of them, and he joined the band right after producing our first recording "FELPEYU" in 1994. He plays guitar and electric bass, and sings lead and harmony vocals. Carlos was born in Xixón, where he is also based.

THE OTHER FELPEYOS

There are a few people whose work is essential for the band in one way or another. They also form part of the band, even if you cannot see them standing on the stage. This is their little corner.

SALVA LÓPEZ Salva has been working with us for several years as our sound engineer, both live and on studio. We got to meet him through Carlos, since they both were teaching at the Xixón Modern Music School (Salva is an excellent keyboard and bass player, with both classical and modern training). Over the last year he is focused on his work on sound engineering and audio/video post-production for Sinergia Digital studios in Madrid, though he is always keen to join us anywhere to work on the sound engineering -and many times, adding some Hammond organ here and there-. The pic shows him working on an improvised mobile unit we prepared for the recording of our live cd, Live Overseas. Salva also comes from Xixón, though he is currently based in Madrid.

 

FERNANDO ÁLVAREZ-BALBUENA Besides playing a very important role on the research and use of the Asturian language, this gentleman is also an excellent writer and responsible of some of our lyrics. He wrote Tierra, the song that gives name to our second studio album, and he always gives us a hand when facing the text of any song we work with. His vast knowledge of the Asturian language and its dialectology allow us to be precise to a point that always amazes us; Fernando submits lexic richness, rigour in the use of words, and the confidence to do things the way they must be done in what refers to our language. Working with him is always a guarantee and a pleasure. He comes from Avilés (conceyu Avilés).

 

BONI PÉREZ Boni has been into the work of writing lyrics for a long time. He started out writing for the rock band Los Locos over the 80's (it was then when Carlos and Boni started working together), with whom he developed some legendary songs, and lately he is more focused on writing for folk music. As for Felpeyu, Boni is 'specialized' in addapting traditional texts and words, composing new parts that get them closer to the feelings of the contemporary Asturian population; he also has the ability to add a fresh touch, very claiming yet elegant, that we enjoy a lot. He wrote a beautiful song for our second album, El Besu, and keeps working with us with two new songs for Yá!, Nun quiero coyer la flor and Faltosa, great lyrics addapted from two traditional texts. Apart of his writing, Boni works regularly as a teacher. He is based in Xixón.

 

 

ANTIGUOS FELPEYOS

Como ye normal en toles formaciones, el movimientu de xente ye constante. Dellos músicos y collacios pasaron per Felpeyu, dalgunos cuantayá, otros hai menos tiempu, pero toos y ca ún d'ellos ficieron la so aportación al soníu de la banda. Ésti apartáu pertenez a la xente cola que tuvimos la suerte de trabayar a lo llargo de los caberos doce años.

CÁSTOR Y FÉLIX CASTRO Los ximis Cástor (cola gaita galega) y Félix (col whistle) Castro, d'Ourense, son los otros dos miembros fundadores de Felpeyu xunto con Ruma y Ígor, xuntándose con ellos n'ochobre de 1991 cuando estudiaben Derecho na Universidá de Salamanca. De mano, la idega yera namás qu'armar folixa pelos chigres de la ciudá y arreventar tunes, pero bien ceo entamaron a facer arranchos propios y anantes de fin d'añu acabó ñaciendo Felpeyu. Mientres tuvimos xuntos nesta primera etapa, hasta Avientu de 1993, el grupu desarrolló un repertoriu de música asturiana y galega al 50% -siendo hasta la fecha la primer y única formación en facelo- y, amás de dos inclasificables maquetes, grabamos un par de temes nun discu compartíu con otros grupos galegos. Anguaño, los ximis tan ente los músicos más capaces y versátiles de Galicia, y son probablemente los que más y meyor tan trabayando pa sacar a la lluz repertorio inéditu del estensu cancioneru gallegu. Siguimos en contactu permanente con ellos, que tamién collaboren con nós en grabaciones y actuaciones de Felpeyu siempre que surxe la oportunidá. Amás de la so carrera musical, los dos exercen d'abogaos y tan establecíos n'Ourense (Galicia).

XEL PEREDA Xel foi el nuestru primer refuerzu, entrando xusto dempués de grabar la nuestra maqueta, Fuxide, Oricios!, allá pel añu 1993. Ígor y él yá yeren collacios dende chavales (estudiaben música y guitarra xuntos na mesma academia, en Xixón), asina que nun tardó muncho n'enguedeyase cola música de Felpeyu y al poco yá taba dándo-y a la guitarra acústica con nós. Xel foi perimportante pa sentar les bases del soníu de Felpeyu; a través d'Elías García trixo al grupo la afinación abierta pa la guitarra acústica (DADGAD), trabayando xunto con Ígor y Ruma les bases rítmiques que mos caractericen, y el so sen armónicu y dinámicu tovía se siente na nuestra música. Les sos guitarres pueden oyise nel nuestru primer cd. Anguaño, Xel ye probablemente'l guitarrista de folk más importante d'Asturies, y lleva dellos años faciendo una ablucante llabor con Llan de Cubel. Ñació y vive en Xixón.

ISIDRO SUÁREZ Isidro foi ún de los primeros músicos colos que Ruma y Ígor entamaron a tocar música asturiana, allá pelos caberos 80. Anque siempre foi gaiteru, entamó cola flauta de madera xusto anantes de xuntase a nós en 1994. Más allá de la técnica, Isidro ye definitivamente un flauteru con toque; aportonos delles pieces bien guapes, y una sensibilidá especial a la hora d'entender les melodíes de la tradición asturiana que mos educó enforma la oreya. Siguimos armándola con él delles veces, y no qu'a la música folk se refier, siempre ye importante pa nós tener el so criteriu en cuenta. Anguaño toca la flauta col grupo Niundes, de Llanes, anque sigue viviendo en Xixón.

TOÑO GÓMEZ Toño ye otru de los collacios que conocemos dende qu'entamamos a tocar música asturiana. Allá per 1995 facíamos sesiones con elli un día sí y otru tamién, asina que pensamos que lo más lóxico yera que se xuntara dafechu al grupu. D'esta mena tan célebre estrenó Felpeyu la formación de dos vigulinos, na que'l toque enérxicu de Toño complementábase perbién col arcu fluídu y la precisión d'Elías. Música aparte, siempre ye un placer trabayar con persones tan grandes como esti mozu. Toño ye un gallu de la inxeniería -la so profesión-, que lu mantien siempre perocupáu, y ye, como la mayoría de nós, más playu que la Lloca'l Rinconín (vamos, que vive en Xixón).