Nicholas Martin returns to Gibraltar after 25 years with ‘Destello Azul’

After a 25-year hiatus from performing on the Rock, Nicholas Martin is set to return to Gibraltar this September for his show Destello Azul, with international pianist Lora Dimitrova.

The event, being organised by the Gibraltar Classical Music Society, will be an evening of Argentinian tangos, Latin American and Spanish songs.

His break from the Rock has not been intentional, but it has been his work as both performer and teacher after his Masters that has kept him busy.

While Mr Martin is a resident of North London his heart also lies in his home village of Catalan Bay.

The upcoming concert will showcase a project he has been developing for two decades.

“It’s a product that I’ve been working for about 20 years now, and it’s all Latin American songs and Tangos and music that’s really inspirational to me, really since, since my early days,” he said.

Trained as a classical tenor, his musical journey began with formal studies.

“I trained as a classical tenor. I went to university and I did a degree and a master’s. I did a degree in music and art in Canterbury,” he said.

“Then I did a Masters in music over there. And after I finished that, I went to the Guild Hall School Music and Drama in London, and I did a post diploma in vocal training there for two years.”

Seeking to break away from the traditional repertoire, he collaborated with arranger Brian Farlow.

“He does all these arrangements, which are all Spanish, Latin American songs and tangos, Central American, Mexican, everything that I give he just does it for me, just so that it’s completely genuine, completely different,” he said.

The arrangements have been done primarily with an ensemble which is cello, piano, guitar, percussion and bandoneon, which is the Argentinian accordion.

He recorded eight songs in Reading University which has just been released on vinyl record as well as on Spotify and all these other digital platforms.

The album, “Destello Azul,” features a painting he created at 17, depicting his childhood in Catalan Bay.

“It’s where all those first years of my life that were really inspirational. Me just running down into the beach barefoot… It was just a very, it was very much like a childhood like the Durrells,” he said.

Preparation for the upcoming concert is rigorous.

“It’s very physical, because, you know, good singing comes all through the support of the diaphragm, so you have to be in top form,” he said.

“You have to do breathing exercises. You have to keep fit, because it is physical and it requires a lot of work.”

Beyond his own performances, he takes pride in his students’ achievements.

“I’ve had great, phenomenal students who have done extremely, extremely well,” he said, recounting how one student landed the role of Nancy Sinatra at the London Palladium, and another, Siobhan Dillon, went on to star in West End productions and on Broadway.

The Classical Music Society are excited to have him perform.

“Nicholas has been working successfully as a teacher and singer in UK for 25 years and therefore as a fellow Gibraltarian we saw it fit to give him a platform to bring his unique music to Gibraltar,” said Philip Borge from the society.

Mr Borge also gave insight into what the audiences can expect that makes this concert different from previous Society events.

“It is part of the Society’s Recital series where we open the doors to working musicians to feature innovative and specialised programmes,” he said.

The concert will appeal to both traditional classical music lovers, and to a broader crowd who are interested in Latin and Spanish culture, “as music has no borders.”