The Number 26 Bus to Paraguay

A new book containing eleven, previously unreleased, beautiful new guitar pieces plus the story of how a number 26 Brighton bus took a musician all the way to Paraguay has now been published. 

Richard Durrant’s amazing, colourful and intriguing new book is called The Number 26 Bus to Paraguay.

Richard explains:

“As a kid I used to catch the number 26 bus every Wednesday night from where I lived on a council estate just outside Brighton to guitar lessons in Hove. 

I loved that bus ride; I’d sit all alone on the upper deck, gazing out at the Sussex Downs watching the changing seasons. I made that journey for years, regular as clockwork. It was a musician’s journey, full of dreams.

I also remember one hot summer’s afternoon, just back from school and playing in the garden under the open kitchen window. My Mum had put my favourite Alirio Diaz record on the family radiogram and the music of Agustín Barrios was blaring out of the house.”

Agustin Barrios, 1922

“Many years later I was living nine miles along the coast in Shoreham by Sea, with children of my own.  And one of those No 26 bus ride dreams had come true: I was living the life of a full time musician.

Then one day in early 2011 – whilst working on a collection of recordings of music by Barrios – the phone rang. It was a man with a strong South American accent:

“Would you consider travelling to Paraguay to play some concerts and launch your new album?”.

I smiled: “OK”.

There remained just one important question: 

What to call the album?

The answer was easy:  The Number 26 Bus to Paraguay.“

In April 2011 Richard arrived in Paraguay for the first time and a new musical adventure began. Over the next few years he returned to this fascinating land which inspired some of his finest work, amazing tales, three albums, awards and accolades.

In this beautiful book, guitarist and composer Richard Durrant tells his story in music, pictures and words. With artwork by Mark Charlton, photos from Richard’s tours and a vibrant cover illustration by Miranda Vincent 

The Number 26 Bus to Paraguay is available now in its limited first edition from this website. It will also be on sale at live shows.

Hear Richard Durrant and Paraguayan harpist Ismael Ledesma live in concert 11-16 October in London, Shoreham-by-Sea, Crawley, Edinburgh, Scopwick and Swindon.

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