How do you describe your music?
Well, that’s actually a big question. First of all, what I do is not Flamenco, nor is it Flamingo (I am not a pink bird), I “borrow” certain elements of Flamenco, mostly right hand rhythmic techniques, as well as elements of Eastern, Latin American, Jazz and Rock music and smush them all together into this thing I call “New World Flamenco”. There are some who disapprove of me using the word Flamenco in the description at all but as I once explained to a friend, who is a very serious Flamenco player, because I use some Flamenco techniques, in order to convey the style to the general public “Flamenco” is the best word available. Until there is a better way to explain it, this is the best description I have. Besides, I am of the opinion that Flamenco has evolved into an umbrella that covers a variety of styles, kind of like Jazz. Ask ten people what Jazz is and you’ll get ten different answers. Flamenco has become almost the same thing. Some don’t like it but this is just my opinion.
How long have you been playing guitar?
I almost hate to answer that because it just makes me feel old, but it’s been a little over 384 months at this point…..I’ll let you do the math.
What got you into Latin music?
Well I get this question a lot and I wish I had a great story to tell, I don’t. I grew up in the suburbs of Vancouver. I took lessons from the time I was twelve, went to college and studied classical guitar. I played in rock and metal bands for a number of years until I just got to frustrated trying to become a rock star and not getting any where. I then started exploring more acoustic music, which I’d always been interested in, and was eventually asked to record a latin CD for a chain of coffee shops. For some reason coffee and Spanish guitar seem to go together. When I went to deliver the album I found the chain had gone out of business so I was stuck with an album that I really liked and nowhere to take it. I then decided to press the disc myself, put a band together and start playing the music live. That’s when I started De La Terra. The original idea was to play the odd coffee house type gig and have some fun. Within a few months it was clear that this was going to be the direction of my career from now on. It’s now been almost twelve years and I’m still going.
Whatever happened to De La Terra?
De La Terra was the band the I started when I first began playing this kind of music. The initial reason for using a “band” name was simply because no one could pronounce my last name correctly. The reality is that De La Terra was always just me and a rotating cast of musicians. A few years ago I started doing a lot more solo performances and it just seemed to get too confusing as to what was a De La Terra show and what was a Doug Towle show. I finally decided to just drop the De La Terra moniker all together and just go with my name.
How do you pronounce you last name?
It’s pronounced Toll, like toll booth. Not Towel, not Towlee not Tool just Toll. You’d be amazed how people can screw up your name.
When you play solo I hear a lot more that just one guitar. What’s going on?
I use what’s called a loop station. It’s a little pedal on the floor which allows me to record myself, loop that recording and the play over top of it. Nothing is pre recorded, I create it all live. What it does is allow me to play songs that I have written for a band when I don’t have a band with me.
Who’s the woman on the cover of “Desire Heat and Spirit”?
That would be my beautiful wife. That’s right, I put my wife on the cover on my album naked! When I realized what I’d actually done I figured this made me either the best husband in the world or the stupidest. But as my wife keeps reminding me, I’m simply the luckiest.
Do you teach?
I do. For information on lessons please click here.
Any other questions you may have please send me an email.