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Brazilians Joao Luiz and Douglas Lora are rising stars in classical music. The classical guitar duo has performed three times at Carnegie Hall in New York, have shared the stage with the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Americas, and tonight they will perform in Belize. In fact if you are in the Belmopan area you can catch them right about now at the George Price Center. They are performing as part of the September celebrations – a goodwill gesture from the Brazilian Embassy. And though these are classical guitarists, they don’t really look the part of classicists. Joao Luiz is sporting dreads and Douglas Lora is most comfortable in shorts and t-shirts. We met them today and they told us why it is now cool to appreciate classical music.

Douglas Lora, Classical Guitarist
“We are a guitar duo that plays classical and Brazilian music. We have been playing together for fourteen years and we’ve travelling around the world showing the music from our country and classic repertoires.

We’ve played three times in Carnegie Hall and we won a competition in 2006 in New York and that’s why we’ve been travelling. Thank God we have a full schedule for all five continents and it’s been great. That is why we are here in Belize today for the first time and hopefully not the last.

I think that is an idea the public in general has that classical music is boring and classical guitar people, they don’t know very well what it is about. I invite you all to come out to our concert tonight so we can change that idea because it is not boring at all and it is not only classical guitar music, it is classical music itself. It could be really heavy and really dancing and there are all kinds of classical music you can imagine.”

Joao Luiz, Classical Guitarist
“The guitar is a very popular instrument too. It helps.”

Keith Swift,
“What motivates you guys to make music?”

Douglas Lora,
“We have something that we say to our students that ask why did we choose the guitar and we always say you don’t choose the instrument, the instrument chooses you and that is happened with us. We started playing since we were very young and that is something natural that if you feel the urge to play, you got to practice and study and take it seriously.”

Tonight’s concert is free of charge. The pair will perform at a benefit dinner tomorrow night in Belize City and there will be a cover charge.