Enriched Global Fusion music 

Luna Gitana blends festive energetic world rhythms and melodies of Italy and Spain with the flavors of Argentina and the Americas. With two Opera singers, diverse ethnic instruments, driven by gorgeous, rhythmic Spanish Guitars, and Violin, Luna Gitana melds the varied and divergent tonalities of Pop, Flamenco & World Music into a "fresh vibrantly unique and visceral listening and visual experience".

Audio Files

Luna Gitana stands during the performance. The stage show of blends several styles of music! The band starts off with Rumba Flamenco "Most well known style performed by the Gipsy Kings" as the dancers begin! Sterling the 400 pound Opera singer begins his Violin solo and then begins his vocal solo.

Performers:

John Cantilo

John Cantilo will transport you to beautiful places, he brings from his country Argentina a virtual lexicon of Latin and World music, however John sings and performs Opera and many other styles of music (Classical, Jazz, Pop, Indian Music and Flamenco Rumba). John is a diverse guitar player and singer who sings in English, Spanish, and Italian. He has played with Tango greats in Argentina.

Peter Manchak

Connect with this native gypsy guitarist and exotic instrumentalist and singer, who has studied music with Gypsy’s in Spain and masters of Classical Indian Music from India. Peter plays the Sarode and Dotar from Calcutta and Northern India, Flamenco Guitars and a Godin Guitar synthesizer. Peter was raised in Spain and Indonesia. Peter and John are the founding members of luna Gitana from back in 1999.

Sterling Branton

Sterling Branton will amaze you! He has studied opera and violin and has performed on the road for many years in opera houses all over Italy & Europe. He received his early musical training in violin, viola and piano at the USC School of Music in Los Angeles. While a high school student, he began a serious study of the Highland Bagpipe. As a baritone Sterling undertook over twenty roles in operas from Mozart to Verdi, Puccini and Britten. After years of singing in Europe, Mr. Branton began the transition from baritone to tenor. As a tenor, he has performed frequently as a recitalist and in opera and oratorio. His operatic work as a tenor includes the leading tenor roles in such operas as Tosca, Madame Butterfly, Cavelleria Rusticana, I Pagliacci and in the works of Wagner, Der fliegender Holländer and the title role in Tannhäuser. For a number of years, Sterling Branton was a member of the voice faculty at U.C. Santa Barbara, where he taught studio voice, diction and, on occasion, directed the University Opera Theatre. Mr. Branton’s work as a conductor has encompassed opera, oratorio, chamber and the symphonic repertoire.

Lorenzo Martinez

Lorenzo Martinez performs several diverse styles of percussion, sings and even plays the Saxophone. His extensive equipment includes Cahone, Timbali's, Conga's, Indian Tablas and an electronic drum set. He has traveled the world performing with Santana and Al Dimiola and now lives in Santa Barbara with his wife and four children and his friends of Luna Gitana.