Having performed throughout the world, and participated in various recordings for Victor Monge ‘Serranito’, in 1997 Miguel made his first solo recording, “Verdesperanza”, a work that was received with great critical acclaim and opened many doors to him.

"CONTRASTES" his second recording, appeared in the musical panorama in 2006, also received with jubilant opinons by the music critic community. A selection of these is presented here:

The next instalment from the madrileño who has remained out of the public eye for some time. An excellent work, made carefully, and measuring up well to its aspirations. Eva Duran gives a voice to some of the styles, without abusing them. Rivera demonstrates a notable maturity, from a man of the world. His touch is sure, full of flamencura, demonstrating his deep and fluid knowledge of his instrument.

A. Álvarez Caballero
 EL PAÍS

He has come to realise his own concept of flamenco guitar, feeling it to be “a form of seeing flamenco music in a precise moment” without any pretensions. His principal collaborators in this project are those with whom he has worked before: Andrés Bedó, Eva Durán, Víctor Monge Barrios and Mariano Cruceta. Among so many guitar recordings in the last few years, Rivera appears with a personal and intimate work of art. There is no prejudice in what Miguel does because his conception of flamenco is plural and avant-garde. There is however a smooth equilibrium between technique, and art.

Marcos  Escánez Carrillo
Jondoweb

Has has chosen himself to be flamenco, but he could well have been tanguero, sonero, or Jazz, because what matters to him is that music becomes a form of communication, like a treasure to share. Spiritually, Miguel Rivera is a confessional musician, and a practising flamencista. His feel is flamenco, but his creative mentality is able to process whatever combination of notes, come where and when they may. Manolo Sanlúcar, Serranito and Joan Manuel Serrat are people who have marked out his path. This amplitude of musical feeling makes those works he has concieved, such as Contrastes, his last disc, extremely recommended to music-lovers in general, and flamencistas alike.

www.deflamenco.com

Fortunately,from time to time, a disc lands in my hands that completely surprises me. One of these is Verdesperanza, by Miguel Rivera. It deals with a serious issue, in the line of one the actual currents of flamenco:that of Spanish Jazz musicians imbued with flamenco energy after managing their musical keys: A current which has, and continues to, introduce new harmonies, melodies and rhythms in reference to the recent works of Paco de Lucia as a root of this, but which explores new ways to leave this model behind, and define what we may soon call “Post-Luciana”.

Miguel shows his desire to personally find a compromise between flamenco and Jazz on top of a pure flamenco base. After a dilated career as flamenco guitar accompaniment to bailaoras, then as the second guitar of Serranito, and also as a concert musician, he has made his own musical discourse around a pulse without aggression, a discreet but effective virtuosity, care for parametric melody and for the arrangements for the chosen group of musicians in Verdesperanza. With his characteristic style and composition, and the contemporary flamenco of Verdesperanza, he shows this a disc to be enjoyed straight from the startand without preconceptions, for it is truly a job well done.

Norberto Torres Cortés

www.apaloseco.com

ABC

A. Álvarez Caballero
 EL PAÍS