Nathan Herrera has music in his blood – and it’s not surprising.
Herrera is a classical and flamenco guitarist with a large list of accomplishments behind him and many still ahead. A Caymanian with long roots in the musical heritage of the Islands – his parents were both musicians, along with his aunts and uncles, and his sisters play the piano – Herrera learned at a very young age how to listen to music and how to appreciate it.
“I started by listening to records. My dad would force me to listen to recordings of famous Spanish guitarists when I was only 5 years old, so I just started to gravitate towards the sound,” Herrera said during a recent interview with Compass TV’s ‘Daybreak’.
Although he studied music throughout his school years, Nathan at first pursued art, but later switched when he realised how committed he was to it.
“I was even in university studying art, but also learning music at a different university, privately, and practising three hours a day. I realised I would have to choose between the two,” he said.
With a musical foundation firmly set, Herrera pursued music as his vocation, receiving a bachelor’s degree in guitar performance with a concentration in composition from Florida Southern College under the direction of Mark Switzer.
He also continued to explore flamenco music.
He said, “I liked the percussive elements of flamenco, so I just gravitated towards that, went to Spain, and it was all over from there. It was the only way to do it. You get absorbed in the culture – everyone lives and breathes the rhythm, naturally in Spain.” Herrera continued to travel to Spain and stay for several months each year. He took master classes with great guitarists such as Pepe Romero, the LA Guitar Quartet, Ama del Monte and Oscar Guzman. He has also studied with José María Moreno, Paco Fonta, Basilio Georges, Pedro Cortés, Juan Diego Mateos and Antón Jiménez, to name a few.
He also worked with dancers such as Sonia Olla, José Moreno, Neli Tirado and Miguel Vargas, as well as the Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana dance company. And he accompanied singers Alfonso Cid, El Mati, Ismael de la Rosa and Sara Hidalgo.
Herrera also performed alongside Glen Scott, another Caymanian musician, in a duo, as well as his quartet, which consists of Cuban musicians, La Gata Luna.
Herrera has made appearances on local and international television programmes and commercials. His music has been featured on the National Geographic channel in the documentary ‘Voices of Mariel’ and at the Cannes Film Festival’s feature of the short firm ‘Brushstrokes’.
Other notable appearances include performing for Alicia Keys, at Sarah Jessica Parker’s Fashion’s Night Out event, at the weddings of ‘Regis and Kelly’ show producer Joni Cohen and ‘Modern Family’ star Jesse Tyler Ferguson, and at the Tribeca Film Festival.
Local performances
Closer to home, Herrera has performed at CayMusicA’s events, including playing with classical superstar guitarist Alexandra Whittingham at the 2023 Cayman Arts Festival where they played several pieces together.
More recently, he played at a CayMusicA Music at the Library event with his group, The Nathan Herrera Trio. The concert included traditional styles of music but with a modern twist. Famed flamenco guitarist Caroline ‘Caro’ Espinoza performed with Herrera and the other trio members William Murray and Luis Eden.
Herrera said he enjoys playing as a soloist as well as in other groups.
“The interaction with musicians is definitely one of the best things [about being a musician]. Solo is great, I love it because it’s self-expression, but when you get to join in with others, that’s like what being a human being, having community, is all about.”
When asked how he feels about music, Herrera indicated that many people could benefit from expanding their exposure to different types of music and “widen their musical horizons” – no doubt to explore the soulful and exquisite genre of music that he plays.
He also said his favourite thing about performing and playing the guitar and music in general is “transmitting beauty into the world”.
When it comes to his current activities, Herrera remains busy with projects while continuing to make appearances.
He has also released two albums, available on Spotify and other major channels. He is working on another album as well and just performed a concert in Florida that included most of his older pieces, but also three of the newer pieces from the album.
For those wanting to experience the extraordinary music Herrera creates and performs here in Cayman, he can be found at local venues, such as the Westin Grand Cayman Seven Mile Beach Resort & Spa, the Grand Cayman Marriott Resort and Coccoloba at Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa where he plays regularly in a duo or with his trio.
Additional reporting by Mina Whorms, Compass TV reporter
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