Nando Martín (Keyboardist)

My parents worked in Munich (Germany) like many Spanish people who didn't see a clear future in their country. Aroa, my sister, had been already 3 years in this world, then I was born and soon we came back to Spain.

The main responsible for awaking our musical passion was my father, JosŽ Mart’n, worker, great philosopher and guitarist on his free time. Without noticing it he educated our ear and constantly influenced us when he heard from Bach, Mozart, Villalobos, Shubert to V’ctor Jara, Paco Ib‡ñez, Carlos Mej’a Godoy, etc.

At age 6 I picked up guitar motivated by my father and used to hear him play for hours every day with Aroa, but it was a failure. I had no patience, too restless. Even the teacher labeled me as impossible.

Two years later I started playing around with a keyboard Aroa had been given and this time things went well (for a while).

I managed to get up to the third piano year of the '66 plan. But puberty came, hair grew in my balls and my teenage rebel period began with all its consequences. So I abandoned piano (which now I regret) and picked up the drumsticks.

I started playing drums along to songs by La Polla Records, Nirvana, Metallica, etc. And along with aroa, who had some experience with electric guitar, we formed our band: Desidia!! (Take that!)

I continued playing drums with several bands like Midway (an evolution of Desidia) or Killing Zoe and it was at that time when I met Pepe, Leo, Patricio, Edu... All in all, we were all from Fuenlabrada, which no matter how many people lived in it, mantained a small town ambience and all of us hairy guys got together at the same bars or rehearsal rooms.

At age 19 piano got me again and wisened up. I spent 2 years at an academy where I met Amparo López, great person and teacher who motivated and prepared me to enter the Getafe Conservatorium in 2003. That same year Pepe proposed me to play at Stravaganzza's live shows, thought about it for a while and finally accepted motivated by him (which now I'm grateful for) and debuted with them at Viña Rock, being amazed of my first experienced as a metal band keyboardist. From there my life has been preparing Stravaganzza's live shows, going year after year toughly at the Conservatorium, some festival with the Triana dance school, some other gigs with my great buddies Marko, Patricio, Aroa and Hugo? With our great pseudo-calorro-dancing band for rehearsing at ha ha! And, what the hell! I've had a blast and still do whenever I can and circumstances allow me to.

And that's it... If I bored you with my life pray so I don't tell you more deeply when I'm a bit drunk...

A big hug for all the Orks and the people who have such a great time at the concerts.

The small guy on the piano.

*****

Natalia Barrios (Bodypainting)

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