Miles Español: New Sketches of Spain

"MR: Bob, what inspired you to take on Miles Davis' latin works? BB: ... Depending on the immediate environment ideas pop into my head all the time. Over the years I have developed a network of producers, industry people and musicians that I can start a dialog about these ideas and develop them. ... Miles Español came about after reading a lot of books on the plague and the Berber Invasion of Spain and the Reconquista, the Inquisition and the gypsy migration from India, the links between India and North Africa and the expulsion of the non-Christians from Spain by Queen Liz in 1492. In that survey of humanity emerged a narrative that I could abstract into the language music. There are parallels today in the deportation of Romas from Europe, the genocidal migrations of Darfur and Somalia and the harassment of our Latino friends in the US. If there is any inspiration it is in the desire to reflect this Modern Reconquista in music" (Mike Ragogna, "A Conversation with Bob Belden," Huffington Post, 11/2/11).
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