BIOGRAPHY

Carlo Basile has a Masters Degree in Classical Guitar Performance from NEIU. He studied for 7 years with Anne Waller (head of the Northwestern University guitar program). Basile also travelled to Spain a number of times to study flamenco in Andalusia with guitarists Luis Ruiz, Jose Luis Rodriguez, and Flavio Rodriguez. Additionally, Basile has visited over 30 countries to perform, teach, and study ethnic music.

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Basile has taught Spanish guitar workshops in places such as Chang Mai (Thailand), Cebu (Philippines), and Hanoi (Vietnam). He has performed and collaborated with noted artists such as Kinan Abou-afach (Syria), Morikeba Kouyate (Senegal),  Sara Ranganathan (India), and Flavio Rodriguez (Spain/Brazil).

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Over the past 15 years, Basile has worked with Las Guitarras de España, a Spanish guitar-influenced world music ensemble which he founded. The ensemble has released 5 CDs to critical acclaim and has performed throughout the US for concerts, universities and major festivals such as SXSW. The Chicago Tribune has recently dubbed the ensemble’s new work as “brilliant.” Basile’s guitar work has been featured in various commercial radio and television spots. Most recently, Basile has composed and performed music for theater including Steppenwolf and Lookingglass Theaters. Basile was the featured musician in the Lookingglass Theater production of “Rick Bayless in Cascabel.” In that work, Basile was referred to as a “masterful guitarist” by a review in the Chicago Sun-Times.

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In 2015, Basile performed with Diego Alonso (Spanish guitar) as the Spanish Guitar Duo and with a larger ensemble including Bob Garrett (percussion), Marisela Tapia (flamenco dancer), Greg Nergaard (bass). He taught a class in Global Music at the Chicago Academy of the Arts. Basile also continued collaborations with Saraswathi Ranganathan (Indian veena), Ronnie Malley (Arabic oud), Morikeba Kouyate (African kora), Chihsuan Yang (Chinese erhu) in the project “Surabhi.” The ensemble performed on several concerts and festivals, composed new music and dance pieces, and planned more studio and live work for the coming year.

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In early 2016, Basile performed and taught again in Hanoi, Vietnam as he traveled to Asia with other stops in Taipei and Shanghai.

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In 2019, Basile toured with the Surabhi Ensemble to Hanoi, Vietnam; Cordoba, Malaga and Huelva, Spain; Odemira, Sintra and Lisbon, Portugal; and Dakar, Senegal. The ensemble performed in schools, clubs, concert halls, universities, and government cultural centers to excellent reviews and invitations for future performances. The tour also involved collaboration with renown artists from each country.

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Over the past 16 years Carlo has performed Spanish guitar music for patients and staff at various hospitals in the Chicago area. He has worked closely with patients and their families in both public and private areas including Intensive Care, Chemo Therapy, and Surgery waiting areas. Carlo has received many compliments for his personal interaction, skilled performance, and appropriate musical selections over the years. His performances have also included artists from India, Senegal, Taiwan, Japan and Spain in order to provide a cultural diversity and a connection for many patients and staff. Carlo is currently a performing artist and consultant for “music healing arts” at The University of Chicago Hospital.