{{Short description|Spanish guitarist, singer and composer}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Toti Soler | image = Toti Soler.jpg | caption = | image_size = 250px | birth_name = | alias = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1949|6|7|df=y}} | birth_place = Vilassar de Dalt, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain | death_date = | instrument = Guitar, vocals | genre = Flamenco, classical, blues, jazz | occupation = Composer, guitarist | years_active = | label = | associated_acts = {{hlist|Brenner's Folk|Pic-Nic|Om}} | website = {{URL|www.totisoler.com}} }} '''Jordi Soler i Galí''' (born 7 June 1949), known by the stage name '''Toti Soler''', is a Spanish guitarist, singer and composer,<ref name="Avinoa">{{cite book|author=Xosé Aviñoa|title=Història de la Música Catalana, Valenciana i Balear: Cronologia universal|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uQY3AQAAIAAJ|accessdate=12 May 2012|year=2004|publisher=Edicions 62|isbn=978-84-297-5478-0|page=221}}</ref> member of cult groups Pic-Nic in the 1960s and Om in the 1970s. He had a classical training with influences of blues, jazz and flamenco. His compositions are noted for their poetic, sensitive qualities and often use extracts from poetry.
==Early life and studies== Jordi Soler i Galí was born on 7 June 1949 in Vilassar de Dalt, Barcelona.<ref name="Avinoa"/> He trained at the Conservatori Municipal de Música de Barcelona from 1965 and the Spanish Guitar Centre in London from 1969.<ref name="InstitutoCervantes"/> His blues influence was obtained from American blues musician Taj Mahal, whom he met in 1971, and his flamenco influence<ref name="Ruiz2007">{{cite book|author=Luis López Ruiz|title=Guía del flamenco|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=08yVhenrtZcC&pg=PA193|accessdate=21 April 2012|date=1 March 2007|publisher=Ediciones Akal|isbn=978-84-460-2670-9|page=193}}</ref> was obtained from Diego del Gastor during a trip to Andalucia in 1972.<ref name="bio">{{cite web|url=http://www.totisoler.com/biographyPDFs/Bio_eng.pdf|title=Biography of Toti Soler|publisher=Totisoler.com|accessdate=28 March 2012}}</ref>
==Works and awards== Soler's work has appeared in several films, such as Ugo Tognazzi's ''I viaggiatori della sera'' (1979).<ref name="InstitutoCervantes"/> In the early 1980s he performed in a duo with flautist Ma Anand Yashu.<ref name="FederationFederation1983">{{cite book|author1=International Jazz Federation|author2=European Jazz Federation|author3=Polish Jazz Society|title=Jazz Forum|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bxNMAAAAYAAJ|accessdate=28 March 2012|year=1983|publisher=For Jazz, sp. z o. o.|page=26}}</ref> In the late 1980s he worked with Pedro Javier González.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://enlowhall.kean.edu/pdf/Pedro.pdf|title=PEDRO JAVIER GONZÁLEZ|publisher=Kean University|accessdate=28 March 2012}}</ref> He has worked with Léo Ferré,<ref name="InstitutoCervantes"/> José Manuel Roldan,<ref name="bio"/> Ovidi Montllor,<ref name="Mas1994">{{cite book|last=Mas|first=Marta|title=Digui, digui ...: llibre del professor|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4yhRVEFxx0QC&pg=PA123|accessdate=21 April 2012|year=1994|publisher=L'Abadia de Montserrat|isbn=978-84-7826-502-2|page=123}}</ref> Jordi Sabatés,<ref name="Cambio 16">{{cite book|title=Cambio 16|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cqQjAQAAMAAJ|accessdate=21 April 2012|date=March 1983|publisher=Informacion y Publicaciones, S. A.|page=11}}</ref> Cinta Massip,<ref name="PoyPoy2004">{{cite book|last1=Poy|first1=Domingo|last2=Poy|first2=Pere|title=Terres d'aigua: poemari de les Terres de l'Ebre|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9KDiF_DEJQMC&pg=PA91|accessdate=21 April 2012|year=2004|publisher=Cossetània Edicions|isbn=978-84-9791-011-8|page=91}}</ref> Ester Formosa,<ref name="Plastino2003">{{cite book|last=Plastino|first=Goffredo|title=Mediterranean Mosaic: Popular Music and Global Sounds|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=043jiZHXoJUC&pg=PA77|accessdate=21 April 2012|year=2003|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-0-415-93656-9|page=77}}</ref> Carles Rebassa,<ref name="Anuari teatral de les Illes Balears 2005">{{cite book|title=Anuari teatral de les Illes Balears 2005|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8svoIA89zWsC&pg=PA259|accessdate=21 April 2012|date=20 July 2007|publisher=L'Abadia de Montserrat|isbn=978-84-8415-950-6|page=259}}</ref> Francesc Pi de la Serra, Pascal Comelade,<ref name="Les inrockuptibles">{{cite book|title=Les inrockuptibles|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FZkmAQAAIAAJ|accessdate=21 April 2012|year=2004|publisher=Editions Indépendantes|page=198}}</ref> Maria del Mar Bonet<ref name="Cuadernos para el diálogo">{{cite book|title=Cuadernos para el diálogo|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZgjhAAAAMAAJ|accessdate=21 April 2012|year=1976|page=7}}</ref> and Pau Riba,<ref>{{cite book|author=Mariona Ferran i Permanyer|title=L'Escola Isabel de Villena I la Seva Gent (1939–1989): Mig Segle D'acció Escolar Catalana|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=38wM06TpccQC&pg=PA271|accessdate=21 April 2012|year=1997|publisher=L'Abadia de Montserrat|isbn=978-84-7826-820-7|page=271}}</ref> amongst others.
In 1996, Soler participated in the seventh (VII) Festival de Guitarra de Barcelona performing works of J. S. Bach.<ref name="bio"/> Later that year he won the Catalan award for best record (Premi al Millor Disc Català de l'Any), for the anthology ''Lydda''.<ref name="InstitutoCervantes"/> In 2002, Soler recorded the album ''Vita Nuova'' and performed it at the Palau de la Música Catalana.<ref name="bio"/> In 2003, he received the Premio Nuevas Músicas award from the Sociedad General de Autores y Editores (SGAE).<ref name="InstitutoCervantes">{{cite web|url=http://argel.cervantes.es/FichasCultura/Ficha66966_06_1.htm|title=Guitarrísimo: Concierto de guitarra Toti Soler|publisher=Instituto Cervantes|accessdate=28 March 2012}}</ref> In 2005, he received the Premi Nacional de Música de Catalunya (National Music Prize of Catalonia), awarded by the Culture Department of the Generalitat of Catalonia, for his albums ''L'arxiver de Tortosa'', ''Racconto'' and ''Guitar cançons i''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.conca.cat/es/premis/llistat-premis?categoria=anys&filtre=2005|title=Premios Nacionales de Cultura y de las Artes por anys; Premios Nacionales de Cultura 2005|publisher=Consell Nacional de la Cultura i de les Arts|accessdate=12 May 2012}}</ref> In 2006 he was awarded the Creu de Sant Jordi.<ref>{{cite news|title=La Generalitat otorga la Creu de Sant Jordi a 62 personalidades y a 15 entidades|newspaper=La Vanguardia|format=online edition|date=19 September 2006|url=http://www.lavanguardia.com/vida/20060919/51284047058/la-generalitat-otorga-la-creu-de-sant-jordi-a-62-personalidades-y-a-15-entidades.html|accessdate=12 May 2012}}</ref>
In 2004, ''Plays International'' said of Joan Ollé's production at the Teatre Lliure of Chekhov's ''Uncle Vanya'' that "Toti Soler's guitarist, providing a lyrical underscoring to the onstage action, functions both as an observer and commentator. His stark music is poignant and melancholy, and captures beautifully the enigmatic mood of on- and off-stage traumas and passions."<ref name="Plays international">{{cite book|title=Plays International|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_EErAQAAIAAJ|accessdate=28 March 2012|year=2004|publisher=Chancery Publications Ltd.|pages=27–28}}</ref>
Soler's live cover of Leonard Cohen's "Suzanne" (sung in Catalan and entitled "Susanna") appeared on the 2007 album "Acordes Con Leonard Cohen."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/acordes-con-leonard-cohen-mw0001198076|title = Acordes Con Leonard Cohen – Various Artists | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic| website=AllMusic }}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist|colwidth=33em}}
==External links== *[http://www.totisoler.com Official site] * {{discogs artist|Toti Soler}} * {{IMDb name|0812992}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Soler, Toti}} Category:Spanish classical guitarists Category:Spanish male guitarists Category:Spanish male singer-songwriters Category:Spanish singer-songwriters Category:1949 births Category:Living people Category:Musicians from Barcelona Category:Fresh Sounds Records artists Category:Catalan-language singers