[sound bites]

Culture and the City:
Spanish guitarist Mito del Soto takes locals on
hometown voyage

By: Emily Rea

The lull of a Port City summer can easily seduce locals into a detached sense of isolation. Nestled gently between the Atlantic coast and the Cape Fear river, Wilmington is a world within itself, with easily available trips to the beach, a thriving historic downtown, and a rich diversity of hidden treasures in between, all in one place. It can be easy to forget that other parts of the world even exist.

Sometimes, all we need is a little reminder.

Far from the shag-dancing, beach music-birthed, sandal-wearing South, Spanish-American flamenco and classical guitarist Mito del Soto’s earliest musical influences were that of Spanish, Mexican, Celtic, rock, jazz, African drumming, artistic-classical, Eastern Dirges, American hymns and American folk. With such an eclectic and cultured background, coupled with a natural affinity and gift for the steel-string electric guitar, Mito spent his childhood establishing the foundation for what would become a future career in music. According to his Web site (www.sotodelbarcomusic.com), “[He] will always be a student of music and will not put parameters on his Flamenco or any other style.”

His journey through music education began at home, from which he traveled to University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (where he received a B.A. of Fine Arts and entered an M.A. program in Orchestral Composition-Technology), and eventually evolved into a voyage to Spain wherein he explored his ancestral roots and Flamenco heritage. The rest, as they say, is history—or perhaps history in the making.

As a flamenco and classical guitarist, vocalist, music studio engineer and orchestral composer, Mito brings a refreshing mélange to the table with his rich vocal capacity, dexterous guitar-playing and a true ear for music. “Writing an orchestral composition that is unique or memorable is only possible if the composer has an ear for distinctive melodies and motives,” he notes on his Web site. Flamenco is without a doubt his specialty. It is “a soul-enriching music,” he says, one that is “extrinsic to his physical existence.” So much so that, despite no training to play guitar prior to his college education and having never learned to read music, it pours out of him by natural comprehension that was developed and cultivated early on in life.

“What we are allowed to accomplish in this life depends on the effort and persistence we are willing to put forth,” Mito asserts, a living interpretation of the phrase “follow your dreams.”

To the great fortune of the Wilmington area, Mito de Soto has now made a home for his fiery flamenco playing as he has teamed up with Caffe Phoenix to delight Port City residents every Friday evening and Sunday for brunch. As cultures collide be assured a captivated following will soon ensue. Follow the sounds to 9 South Front Street.