Biography

David Leiva was born in Almería but grew up in Barcelona where he currently lives. When he was ten his musical career began with music theory and classical guitar at the Conservatory of Granollers.

 

He has a degree in music pedagogy, classical and flamenco guitar. He currently teaches at the Conservatory of Liceu in Barcelona. Since 2008 he has created his own methodology, being admired and respected by gender specialists and guitarists worldwide. Because of his teaching experience and methodologies he achieved to be a reference in the flamenco education.

As a concert soloist, he performed at various theaters, festivals and venues of great international importance. He  performed in cities like Vienna, Munich, Sardinia, Corsica, Rome, Nimes, Barcelona, Madrid, Seville, Lleida, Girona, Andorra, Tarragona, Málaga, Granada, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Jerez, Jaén, Nijar, Mojacar, Motril, Almería , Granada, Santiago de Compostela, Valladolid, Logroño, Valencia, etc. He also received offers to perform in Japan, China, Russia, USA and Dubai. He was part of the group Índalo with which he made several national and international tours. His experience in cante (singing) and dance accompaniment got him to share the stage with great artists in cante and dance like Merche Esmeralda, Nano de Jerez, Juan Pinilla among others. He composed several dance shows like Rojo sobre Negro (Red on Black) and Combo flamenco. He formed his own band which fuses traditional flamenco (vocals, percussion, guitar and dance) with Jazz music (contrabass, sax, flute and violin). The band made several national and international tours and participations on radio and TV.

In 2012 he released his first album "Fuente Victoria", an album with nine exceptional compositions, where the guitar is the protagonist, only accompanied by a flamenco cajón.
He is associate of specialized flamenco magazines contributing articles on flamenco guitar and cante.

He made several presentations, lectures and master classes at conservatories, schools and universities in different parts of Spain and Europe, announced on radio, press and TV. For example at the cumbre de flamenco in Jerez, his presence was a success, he was interviewed on TV and radio programs. His lectures were attended by a great number of all types of participants, amateurs, professionals and even Moraíto participated in one of them, congratulating David for his educational work.

Currently, as author he has 50 publications (books and DVDs), some of them mostly successful in flamenco pedagogy. He was the first author who made a method on cante and dancing entitled "A tutorial of flamenco and its accompaniment" and "Flamenco guitar treatise of accompaniment to el cante, DVD + Book". These collections are very successful in sales and are considered to be some of the best flamenco methodologies. This success is not the only one which he obtained as author, the books "Camarón guitar tab" and "Enrique Morente guitar tab" are the first music books on some themes of these two great singers. In half a year the Camarón book became one of the best sold flamenco books of 2009. 

 

Since January 2014 is the official writer Paco de Lucia. You will transcribe all his work in score.

 

David is also the official transcriber of the Carisch company realizing song transcriptions of all genres.

 

Works:

 

Books: Flamenco didactics

 

• A tutorial of flamenco and its accompaniment vol. 1, 2, 3 and 4 (vocals and guitar)  Ed.Carisch, 2008
• Flamenco Suite (Ed. Periphery Music) 2009
• Camarón guitar tab and voice Ed.Carisch 2009
• Paco de Lucía guitar tab Ed.Carisch, 2011
• Enrique Morente guitar tab and voice Ed. Carisch, 2011
• Combo Flamenco (guitar, flute, bass and percussion) Ed.Carisch 2009
• Flamenco guitar rhythmic method 1 and 2 Ed.Carisch 2010
• Flamenco's guitar guide Ed. Flamenco - Live, 2010
• First Steps, Classical guitar for Kids Ed Carisch, 2013

 

 

DVD: Flamenco didactics

 

• Flamenco guitar treatise of accompaniment to el cante, Soleá Ed RGB, 2011
• Flamenco guitar treatise of accompaniment to el cante, Siguiriya Ed RGB, 2012
• Flamenco guitar treatise of accompaniment to el cante, Tientos Ed RGB, 2012
• Flamenco guitar treatise of accompaniment to el cante, Alegrías Ed RGB, 2012
• Flamenco guitar treatise of accompaniment to el cante, Bulerias, Tangos and Fandango Ed RGB, 2013
• Flamenco guitar duets, Sabicas and Escudero, Ed RGB 2012
• Flamenco guitar treatise from the compás Ed RGB, 2013-2014
• Treatise of the flamenco rhythm, foot tapping in each style Ed RGB, 2013

 

Books: Transcriptions, piano, vocals and guitar

 

• Best of the Chichos, Antonio Vega, Fito y los Fitipaldis, Mago de Oz, Pereza, Melendi, Patito Feo, Nino Bravo
• Alejandro Sanz, Paraíso Express
• Joaquín Sabina, Vinagre y rosas
• Pablo Alboran (Solamente tú y Tanto)
• Viva la copla
• 20 Carols
• Canta y juega

 

Currently, David is working on classical guitar methodologies for children addressed to primary schools, elementary conservatories and music schools. At the same time he is developing methods on DVD, to mention few of them: Treatise of accompaniment to the dance, Flamenco guitar treatise from the compás.

 

Daivd signs and approves the guitars of the renowned luthier Juan Montes and the factory Azahar, providing guitars of optimal price-quality ratio.

With the Carisch company he released two flamenco guitar packs (Basic Pack and Professional Pack). They include:

 

• Flamenco Guitar: A guitar on the highest level with the prestigious seal of RM which further has been approved by the maestro David Leiva, confirming attack and sound quality.
• Flamenco guitar rhythmic method 1, David Leiva

• Guitar case
• Electronic tuner
• String set "La Bella Model 2001 concert series"
• Capo
• String winder