Arco y Olvide marks a new chapter in the artistic journey of Lebanese-New Zealander flamenco guitarist and composer Paul Bosauder. Shaped by sixteen years of living in Spain and studying with some of the leading artists of the flamenco tradition, the album reflects a personal language developed slowly through immersion, discipline, memory and distance. Rooted in traditional flamenco forms, Paul’s music draws from the deep vocabulary of Andalucía while allowing his own melodies, harmonies and sense of space to emerge with honesty and restraint.
The album traces a line through time, place and experience. It is both a homage to the Spanish maestros, guitarists and composers who shaped the landscape of flamenco, and a deeply personal reflection on what it means to find one’s own voice within such a rich and demanding tradition. Through the unedited tone of the Spanish flamenco guitar, Arco y Olvide evokes contrasting Andalusian colours: warmth, nostalgia, solitude, movement and light.
Recorded in Morón de la Frontera and produced by renowned Spanish producer Domi Serralbo, the album brings together an exceptional group of collaborators, including award-winning Indian bansuri flautist Lara Wong, flamenco singer Rosario Amador, and renowned percussionist Javier Ktumba. Lara Wong is internationally recognised as a leading flamenco instrumentalist and was awarded the Filón prize at the prestigious Festival Cante de las Minas, becoming the first foreign artist to win any category in the festival’s sixty-year history. Paul and Lara have collaborated on projects in Seville since 2016.
For Paul, the making of Arco y Olvide represents the distillation of two decades spent exploring the language of flamenco. “This album feels like a summary of many years of listening, writing, practising and searching,” he says. “Some things need time to mature. They need to be forgotten before they can be understood properly. Flamenco has given me a way to see music, culture and memory through a different lens. My hope is that these pieces allow people to feel something of Andalucía, its warmth, its landscapes, its rhythm and its soul.”
In October 2026, Paul Bosauder will present his second album live at The Piano, Christchurch, joined by world-class flamenco musicians travelling directly from Spain for a night of flamenco energy, intimacy and harmony.
