Spanish songwriter Gizmo Varillas has made waves across Europe with his eclectic blend of genres, including flamenco, ska punk and reggae. Now, he is performing his first headline shows in Brussels and Ghent, bringing a flavour of Spain to Belgium.
Hailing from northern Spain – specifically, Santander and Bilbao – Varillas spent his early childhood on the Spanish coast before moving to the Welsh capital of Cardiff at the age of four and living between Spain and the UK again after that. "I really wanted to go back to the UK. It was an opportunity for me to start over," he tells The Brussels Times.
While in Cardiff, he became interested in the city's vibrant music scene, and going to gigs formed one of his earliest interactions with music. As a teenager, Varillas formed punk reggae ska bands, enjoying mixing different genres and infusing them with artistic influences such as Manu Chao and Paul Simon.
"I like to think of music as a painting," he muses. "You have a blank canvas and you can use different textures and colours and instruments. I see music in a very visual way, almost something cinematic."
Varillas first learnt to play guitar in Spain, coincidentally thanks to a neighbour who was a Spanish guitar teacher. Every time he walked past his door, he would hear him playing. "It always had this beautiful, warm sound that I associate now with the nylon strings of the classical flamenco guitar which he taught me."
From there, he says he went on his own journey to find what interested him. Initially, music was just a passion, he says. "I was doing all sorts of jobs, from working in kitchens, cleaning dishes, and preparing food to picking up popcorn in cinemas and bartending... I was also a fishmonger once."
It was only in his mid-20s while living in London that he realised music could be a full-time job and he started working on his debut album El Dorado.
Seeing the world in colour
Eight years on, Varillas is now marking a new chapter in his career with his latest album and most personal work to date, 'The World in Colour'.
Each song on the album, released on 21 March, represents various milestones in Varillas' life, from marrying his partner of 15 years in an online ceremony during the pandemic to losing his father to cancer.
'Still holding on' was inspired by his ten years living in London, while 'Follow the sun' represents trips to the New Forest national park and Camber Sands in southern England with his wife and dogs in a camper van, reconnecting with nature after a long stint in the city.
The Spanish songs on the album are dedicated to his dad. In the days leading up to his father's death, Varillas started to see life differently, inspiring him to write 'Ojos Nuevos' ('new eyes' in English). "My appreciation for life grew. He was only 60 years old and his life was cut short. It made me realise how important it is to spend time with the people we love," the artist says, adding that making music has enabled him to digest different parts of his life and process his emotions.
"This album in general is a reminder to live fully and appreciate life and do the things you love, and keep appreciating the beauty, the birds singing, going out into nature. It's about seeing the world in colour despite all the horrible things happening in the world."
Full house in Brussels
Having already made a name for himself across the continent, Varillas is now celebrating the release of 'The World in Colour' with a new European tour and two dates in Belgium.
The Spanish songwriter is performing a sold-out show at Ancienne Belgique in Brussels on 6 May and another show in De Centraal in Ghent on 15 May, as well as various shows and festivals elsewhere, including Reeperbahn in Germany.
Varillas performing in Hamburg, Germany. Credit: Sebastian Madej
Brussels and Ghent mark Varillas' first headline shows in Belgium, having supported English-Italian acoustic singer Jack Savoretti on tour several years ago. "I'm really looking forward to it," he says, adding that he is "quite curious" that his show has been so well-received in the capital, with tickets selling out far in advance.
Fans can expect a mixture of his older classics as well as plenty of hits off the new album. "We also always do really cool singalong moments with the audience, especially with songs like 'No War'. It's nice to have a communal moment where we interact together; it's no longer about me singing the songs but rather about us connecting."
Looking to the future, Varillas hopes to tour the United States, and has just had a festival confirmed in Austin, Texas. Other shows have also been confirmed in Turkey, Mexico, Poland, Italy and Greece too, with plenty more on the cards.
