Over the last forty years, one of the most outstanding names in Spain ’s musical panorama is Emili Baleriola.
Born in Barcelona, he is singularly noteworthy for being a veritable artistic chameleon, capable of venturing into a limitless variety of styles, all the while retaining his own identity.
Guitarist, music producer, composer and arranger, he also has a real passion for photography and Mediterranean cuisine.
A self-taught musician, Emili took up the guitar at age six. His career began in earnest in the late 1960s when he created the group Crac together with Carles Benavent and Salvador Font. An innovative fusion of rock and blues styles, it is worthwhile to remember that Crac performed at the legendary progressive music festival at the Salón Iris organized by Oriol Regás.
In the early 1970s, Crac was integrated into Máquina!, led by Enric Herrera, which focused on blues-rock.
At the same time, during the entire 70’s decade and coinciding with the Ona Laietana movement born in Victor Jou’s club Zeleste, Baleriola performed in many of the most outstanding blues, rock, Afro-Cuban, Latin jazz, hippy jazz and psychedelic groups of the time, Orquesta del Maestro Bellido, Esqueixada Sniff, Orquestra Platería, as well as collaborating with singer-songwriters Jaume Sisa and Jordi Batiste , in addition to Música Urbana, Orquestra Mirasol, Gato Pérez and Baleriola’s historical participation in Canet Rock.
In the 1980s, Baleriola continued to work intensely live on stage with Pernil Latino, The One & Only Blues Band, Tortell Poltrona and the Emili Baleriola Group, for which he composed the music for his first recording Dilema (1986).
In 1989, Baleriola opened Estudis Montseny (Montseny Studios) located deep in the heart of the Parque Forestal de Montseny (Montseny National Forest), to produce and record music.
Outstanding for his role as producer are Blues for Anna (1993) by Tete Montoliu, Now Hear My Meaning (1993) by Lou Bennet, Ho sento molt (1989) by Albert Pla, with Baleriola on guitar, as well as for the groups Alquimistes Folls, Quercus, Big Mouth, Riqui Sabatés, Dusminguet and Errol Woiski.
He recently began another collaboration with Jaume Sisa on his CD Bola voladora , with Orquestra Plateria on Gatísimo , and with Jordi Batiste on l’Arbre blanc .
Emili Baleriola ha destacado por ser un artista realmente camaleónico, capaz de aventurarse en una gran variedad de estilos musicales y mantener su propia identidad.
Músico autodidacta, empieza a tocar la guitarra a los seis años. Su carrera se inicia a finales de los años sesenta cuando crea su propio grupo, Crac junto con el bajista Carles Benavent y el batería Salvador Font, fusionando el rock y el blues de una manera innovadora.
Guitarrista, productor musical, compositor y arreglista, es también un apasionado de la fotografía y la cocina mediterránea.
Al principio de los setenta se integra en el grupo Máquina! en una etapa en que el grupo se decantó más hacia el blues-rock.
Paralelamente, durante toda la década de los setenta y los ochenta, Emili Baleriola forma parte de algunas de las principales formaciones de blues, rock, música afrocubana, latin-jazz, hippie-jazz y psicodelia de Barcelona.
En los noventa se dedica básicamente a la grabación y producción musical creando su propio estudio, situado en pleno bosque en el Parque Natural del Montseny.
Recientemente volvió a colaborar con algunos de sus antiguos colegas en directo y en el estudio. Actualmente, además de su actividad como músico y productor, también dedica todo el tiempo posible a preparar nuevos guitarristas que acuden a sus clases y seminarios.