Spanish guitarist Benise brings show to Cerritos

CERRITOS — Guitarist extraordinaire Benise is bringing her 20th anniversary tour to the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts on Sunday, Jan. 9, for a 7 pm performance. 

Tickets start at $55 and can be purchased online at cerritoscenter.com. 

Benise takes the audience on a romantic journey celebrating two decades of fiery Spanish guitar and dance, including the Spanish flamenco, Cuban salsa, Brazilian samba, Parisian waltz, exotic drumming, and more. 

Benise taught himself to play guitar at age 11 and has mastered a variety of different styles that eventually meshed to become his own unique technique. When he was rejected by Los Angeles clubs, he started playing on the streets, winning the admiration of native Angelenos and tourists who called him the “Pied Piper” of the Spanish guitar. 

Though unable to read music, Benise composed original works that were embraced for their edgy, exotic and sensual personality. Benise added stage theatrics and lighting to complement the music and mood, creating a show that has sold out concerts worldwide and led to an Emmy Award winning PBS special “Nights of Fire!”