Vocal Artist
This page takes you through my musical journey, featuring a range of projects and collaborations, from global music to vocal improvisation. It spans all the music that I've sung, recorded and performed: Argentine tango, jazz, South American songs, and my current focus on vocal improvisation.
Vocal Improviser
Being a vocal improviser and facilitator of circlesongs and collaborative improvisation brings together my love for spontaneous music and community, blending all aspects of my musical history and spirit.
I feel blessed to continue exploring creativity and voice among a rich pool of singing peers, being part of the facilitator's team for circlesinging events worldwide, and sharing vocal improvisation discoveries and tools in workshops and trainings over the last 15 years.
My journey as a vocal explorer began in Buenos Aires in the 1990s learning to become a jazz singer. I was fascinated by scat and studied Ella Fitzgerald, Jon Hendricks, Mark Murphy, and other vocal improvisers. Seeing Bobby McFerrin perform live in Buenos Aires left a lasting impact—his seamless interaction with the audience, and how he made everyone feel included, blew me away.
After moving to the UK, I began intuitively experimenting with circlesongs in my workshops, creating spontaneous songs with invented languages and interlocking parts. These improvisations allowed me to share my love for Latin American rhythms and grooves without requiring participants to memorise long song lyrics in Spanish.
In 2011, after meeting and working with Bobby McFerrin, Rhiannon and other vocal improvisers, I realised that circlesinging was a recognised art form. Since then I deepened the practice, acquired new skills, and began offering vocal improvisation workshops and later on, formations.
I also discovered I was part of a growing global community of vocal improvisers, for which I am deeply grateful and excited to see how it expands and becomes richer with the exchanges.
Some of these beautiful collaborations have included Senza Rete, a cappella vocal improvisation duet with Roberto Demo, and recording a fully collaborative improvised album called Remembering.
I am one of the founding members of The Well, a Global Vocal Improvisation Network that aims to help support the expansion of the art form and interconnection between vocal improvisers worldwide.
In 2019, Anthropos - Songs of Humanity was launched, a collaborative vocal improvisation project with Sylvia Schmidt, Kate Smith, and Jaka Skapin. We began with a question: did early humans sing before they could speak and why? This inquiry has guided our exploration of leaderless, spontaneous collective song without the use of language.
Anthropos is now at the centre of my artistic exploration and performance, after many years working as a professional jazz, South American music and Argentine Tango vocalist.
While I haven’t lost my love for singing compositions, I now dedicate most of my time to vocal improvisation.
I’m grateful for the opportunities to meet, learn and sing with Bobby McFerrin and Rhiannon, two of the world’s greatest vocal improvisers and inspiring human beings.
I’d also like to acknowledge and thank yoga teacher and changemaker Judith Seelig and spiritual mentor John Oakley for their wisdom and presence, ongoing support and inspiration.
My gratitude extends to all my previous teachers in voice, music and life, especially Iris Guiñazú. Also to Julio Raggio, Daniel Suarez Marzal, Abdul Al Kheir, Ajoy Chakraborty, Sheila Jordan, Mark Murphy and many other mentors and artistic influences that I’ve encountered along the way in Argentina, the UK and around the world.
And a special thank you to all my past and present students, for the beautiful sharing of yourselves, for teaching me so much and trusting in our process.
Guillermo R.
Tango Vocalist
“A journey through unexplored zones of the exciting musical landscape of South America.”
J Lewis, Time Out
I’m currently the vocalist with three leading Argentine tango ensembles in Europe: the outstanding Polish Cuarteto Re!Tango, UK - based London Tango Orchestra (albums Primeros Pasos 2015 and Abrazo Abierto, 2021) and Hamburg - based Sexteto Cristal (albums Viento del Norte, 2019 and Loca de amor, 2020). I have started collaborating with another well - established German ensemble: Cuarteto Rotterdam.
I have also collaborated with a couple of established Argentine guitarists based in Europe, Javier Fioramonti and Alejandro Sancho.
In the past, I have collaborated with Tango Siempre (writing some originals, recording and touring the album Malandras del Tango with Victor Villena. We toured the UK with a live musical show: Midnight Tango, featuring dancing stars Vincent and Flavia from the original Strictly Come Dancing cast).
I have recorded and performed traditional tangos and new compositions with Dutch ensemble Walton-Van Duinen (Album The World is Tango).
“Guillermo’s singing is special…
Exquisitely sung Argentine music.”
J Griffiths, The Guardian
Singer - Guitarist
I am a singer-guitarist with a broad repertoire of Latin American songs and jazz standards. I have performed as a solo artist and collaborated with many UK - based musicians of different traditions.
I began my professional singing career in Buenos Aires in the early 1990s, with a big love for Brazilian music and jazz, performing with top Jazz and Latin musicians. Before leaving Buenos Aires, I led a quartet performing my jazz arrangements of Latin American songs.
In 2000, I moved to the UK and started performing as a singer-guitarist, focusing on jazz, Bossa Nova, and Caribbean Boleros. I recorded two albums: Alma Argentina (2002) and The Blue Hour (2004), which included some of my compositions. I also studied Hindustani classical vocals with Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty, Dr. P. Chaudhry, and Rajesh Kelkar.
Life circumstances and a very generous opening from legendary jazz singer Sheila Jordan enabled my move to London in 2004. Shortly afterwards, I was invited to tour Europe and record with the award-winning Orient House Ensemble, led by Gilad Atzmon (album Musik).
Once settled in London, I began singing with one of the first Tango bands in the UK, Los Mareados (album Los Mareados).
Soon after, I started Rioplatenses, a band performing my own compositions and blending Argentine songs with jazz and world music influences. Our live album, A Route to the Roots (2008) features Andres Ticino, Javier Fioramonti and John Turville. I also sang on Migration (J Philips’ Oriole) and The Juicer (Nick Homes).
In 2016, we toured and recorded Musica Paradiso, a selection of jazz and Latin American movie songs, with accomplished jazz singer Tina May and other celebrated musicians.
Agora was released in 2017. An intimate album with original arrangements of Latin American songs, featuring award-winning Venezuelan pianist Edward Simon.