Marcos Coll interview

Marcos Coll joins me on episode 86.

Marcos is a Spaniard who has been living in Berlin for the last twenty years. Marcos rose to fame at a young age on the Spanish blues scene playing with the Tonky Blues Band before forming the the Los Reyes del KO band, touring the world and sharing the stage with many famous names.

Moving to Berlin in 2004, Marcos became a regular on the vibrant blues scene in Germany and recorded with many great artists.

In addition to playing blues, Marcos likes to mix modern beats such as hip hop into the blues, as well as playing traditional Spanish and Latin music, including cutting a Latin song with Charlie Musselwhite.

Marcos has an online tuition site called Harp and Soul, has been a judge at the Trossingen World Harmonica Championship and is a regular at Seoul, and other harmonica festivals.

Links:
Marcos’s website:
https://marcoscoll.com/

Online tuition website:
http://harpandsoul.info/en

Videos:

With Los Mighty Calacas at World Harmonica Festival 2013:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLcLlgcJHLU

Latin workshop at Hohner masters 2022:
https://youtu.be/9Qi0nxFsJbg

Chan Chan song, playing chord harp (and others) also effect part way thru
https://youtu.be/_sBZj8CoB6Q

Marcos rapping on basketball anthem:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yHcGFfXVTg

Harp and Soul tuition introduction:
https://youtu.be/ErHO7pI64HE

Seoul festival, playing with Antonio Serrano:
https://youtu.be/ks88GMCDj_s

Podcast website:
https://www.harmonicahappyhour.com

Donations:
If you want to make a voluntary donation to help support the running costs of the podcast then please use this link (or visit the podcast website link above):
https://paypal.me/harmonicahappyhour?locale.x=en_GB

Spotify Playlist:
Also check out the Spotify Playlist, which contains most of the songs discussed in the podcast:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5QC6RF2VTfs4iPuasJBqwT?si=M-j3IkiISeefhR7ybm9qIQ

Podcast sponsors:
This podcast is sponsored by SEYDEL harmonicas - visit the oldest harmonica factory in the world at www.seydel1847.com  or on Facebook or Instagram at SEYDEL HARMONICAS

Chapters

• 1:29 Marcos is a Spaniard, currently living in Berlin
• 1:52 Was inspired to take up harmonica from the British Blues Boom bands and American 50s rock ’n roll
• 2:27 First instrument was violin, but didn’t continue with that
• 3:13 Spanish music influences and blues scene in Spain, including Naco Goni
• 6:32 First harmonica was a Chinese made Huang
• 7:08 Starting out playing music as a teenager, which progressed into performing until late 5 nights a week
• 8:26 Mother’s reaction to Marcos becoming a full-time musician
• 8:58 Great training ground playing in the late night clubs in Spain where Marcos learned to entertain
• 9:59 Tips on how to entertain the audience: be yourself and feel what the audience wants
• 10:49 Energy Marcos puts into his performances
• 11:43 A big influence on Marcos was a big festival in Spain with many famous names and the value of seeing live performances
• 12:51 Moved to Madrid in 1999 joining the Tonky Blues Band and shared stage with many famous names
• 15:10 Leaves singing to the great singers
• 15:27 Los Reyes del KO band (The Knockout Kings) with name coming from dressing up as boxers in an early gig
• 16:57 Touring with Los Reyes del KO and sharing stage with idols
• 17:38 Live in Berlin album from Los Reyes del KO and Paul Butterfield influence
• 19:17 Mixing modern beats like hip hop in with traditional blues
• 20:57 Relocated to Berlin in 2004 and the great blues scene in Germany
• 23:37 Started playing with Aron Burton in Berlin
• 24:30 Under The Wings compilation album
• 26:17 Hucklebuck duet with Keith Dunn
• 27:16 La Paloma is a Spanish song, which Marco found was popular in Germany too
• 29:09 Street Preaching album with Stefano Ronchi, mixing modern beats with blues again
• 30:21 Album with Will Jacobs, a Chicago musician
• 31:18 Now in a band called The Blues Jacana, Marcos’s jam band around Berlin
• 31:54 Charlie Musselwhite has recorded a song on an album with Marcos with the Los Mighty Calacas band
• 33:33 New album coming out in 2023, called Nomade, playing traditional Spanish music
• 37:07 Going to keep the Spanish influence in his much moving forwards
• 38:10 Marcos ran a Latin workshop at Trossingen
• 38:46 Playing orchestral harmonicas and chromatic: not highly skilled on them but can get by
• 39:57 Session work includes for a big Mexican film
• 41:02 Chose harmonica over playing basketball professionally
• 43:14 Teaches harmonica and online tuition course: Harp and Soul
• 44:58 Been a judge at various harmonica festivals, including the World Harmonica Championship at Trossingen
• 46:35 Performed at Seoul Festival, including with Antonio Serrano
• 47:02 Appeared at the Harmonica FEN Festival in Berlin in 2022
• 47:29 Popularity of harmonica in Asia
• 48:16 10 minute question
• 49:16 Harmonica of choice: Hohner endorsee and plays Crossovers (wood) and Rockets (plastic)
• 49:50 Doesn’t use customised harmonicas
• 49:54 Doesn’t use overblows
• 50:23 Marcos picture is on the box of Hohner Blues Bender packaging
• 50:58 Different tunings: likes Harmonic Minor
• 51:20 Prefers sound of a note played without an overblow
• 52:27 Embouchre: uses both
• 53:00 Amps: did use Fender Princeton Reverb, but now works with what’s available
• 53:59 Effects pedals are now usable for harmonica tone
• 54:29 Likes to add effects to his sound sometimes, including Octaver from ElectroHarmonix
• 55:38 Mics: vocal mic and Hohner Harp Blaster
• 56:13 Future plans