José de Castro "JOPI"

José de Castro "Jopi" is a professional guitarist and music producer from Madrid.
He's been playing since he was ten, studying classical guitar, harmony, choir, and music theory. At the age of seventeen, fascinated by the electric guitar he joined several rock bands, performing with some of them in Madrid's music scene, winning important contests as the "Trofeo Villa de Madrid". Later on, he begins to play as a professional guitarist in some orchestras and bands on a national level while working as a music teacher in various modern music schools,"Ritmo y Compás" among them, where he taught until 2002. In that year, his first instrumental album was released, entitled "Un poco de lo mío"(A bit of my own); written, arranged, and produced by himself. It contains nine songs with a rock sound adding funk, pop, and fusion elements.
His debut album as a soloist received excellent reviews from the Spanish press (Guitarra Total, Guitarrista, etc.) and the international music press (Guitar World, Vintage Guitar Magazine). The CD was sold in Europe, the US and Asia. This fact, along with his great talent and sensibility as a musician, made him a house name in music sessions as a recording player as well as a live guitar player on demand. He has worked since then with a great number of Top 40 Spanish artists as a musical director, sometimes also as a music producer and composer for some of them.
The live concerts with his own band begin to be appreciated not only by guitar players but all kind of musicians too. This acknowledgement of his work lead several brands of instruments, amplification and effects to take a look at him as a reference for their products, performing clinics, demos and masterclasses throughout Spain.

In 2004 releases his second CD "Music Guitar Box", in which play musicians such Simon Phillips (Toto, Jeff Beck...) and Melvin Davis (Chaka Khan, Steve Lukather, Lee Ritenour...) as well as usual musicians from the Spanish music scene such Maurizio Sgaramella, Denis Bilanin and Enzo Filiponne. This album shows the evolution in his playing through several music styles, always from a rock approach, showing a great balance between virtuosity and musicality.
In 2006 his third CD "Conversation" is released in full swing professionally speaking, along with important tours and recordings.
In this year he also becomes one of the reference musicians for the prestigious guitar brand "Suhr Guitars". In 2006, the name of the band and its members is established as "José de Castro Trío" with Jose Vera on bass and Enzo Filippone on drums and they tour successfully around Spain. As a result of this intense live experience he records in 2007 his fourth CD called "Live" on the 21st and 22nd of November at the "Rigoberta Menchú" theater in Leganés, Madrid. This is a double CD that shows the energy of the band on stage and is released in 2009.
In 2008 and 2009, before this release, they perform concerts with Joe Satriani, Scott Henderson and Michael Landau during their tours around Spain and he's invited to play at the "Guitar Day" in Milan and Madrid with Paul Gilbert. Along with this international recognition he's also invited to the NAMM'08 and '09 in Los Angeles (California), this time with Guthrie Govan, Reb Beach and Rob Marcello.

In 2010 along with several clinics, masterclasses and live concerts with his Trio in Spain and Europe (Italy, Romania, Germany, Belgium and Holland) and due to the word of mouth as a music producer, he designs and assembles the "JDC music studio" in Madrid. It's a personal studio in which he brings his mastery as a guitarist and a producer to music projects.
If you want to know more about it: http://www.josedecastro.net/estudio_es.html During the year 2011 he writes and records his fifth CD "Moments" with his usual Trio joining forces this time with Ron Saint Germain (U2, Jimi Hendrix, Living Colour, Muse, Michael Jackson,Red Hot Chili Peppers...) in the mixing and Joe Gastwirt (Jimi Hendrix, Tom Petty, Yes, Grateful Dead...) in the mastering.
In 2012, after a great musical dedication as a producer, composer, arranger and performer he's chosen by the prestigious guitar brand Fender as the first spanish endorser to perform with its guitars and amplfiers.
At the end of 2012 he also writes a guitar method book "Guitarra para torpes", publish by Anaya along with drawings of the well-known spanish cartoonist Antonio Fraguas 'Forges'.

At the end of 2014 and due to a series of concerts made in Asia, the record company Guitar China decides to take a compilation disc that includes subjects of the 4 discs of study. All tracks are remastered and some of the guitars are re-recorded.
The album has very good acceptance in China and every year Jopi has more concerts there.
At the end of 2016 goes on sale in fifth studio album and seventh in his discography entitled "Breathe".
This time the sound sought is much more raw and natural, looking for the energy that the band has live.
The themes are much more direct since almost all are recorded one hundred percent to trio.
In this disc they participate the habitual formation of direct that they are Jose vera to the bass and Enzo Filippone to the battery. Also guitarists Guthrie Govan and Richard Hallebeek and bassists Guillermo Vadalá and Agustín Guereñu "Gere".
At the end of 2019 goes on sale his new album "Guitar room". 13 songs with the usual variety of music styles.