Kotebel biography Due to the peculiar characteristics and influences, Spanish Prog bands are hard to describe inside the parameters of one Progressive Rock sub-genre, well get ready because KOTEBEL is even harder, at the first listen of any of their albums you notice that the main structure is basically Classical (In a broad sense) and Symphonic but you find many other different atmospheres one over the other as a collage, but specially a Prog Fusion touch provided by the piano and Synthesized violin.
KOTEBEL was formed in Madrid (1999) by the Venezuelan pianist and composer Carlos Plaza using a different approach than most Symphonic bands that start in Rock and add Classical influences, Plaza started with Classical music and added a great variety of different sounds, influences, atmospheres and flavors, creating a spectacular ensemble that sounds better with every release.
Being that he's a classically trained musician that loves the late Romantic/Modern Classical it0's easy to find influences tat start with Rachmaninoff and end with Ravel or Debussy and in the Prog universe Carlos Acosta is a confessed fan of Tony Banks, but in the music of KOTEBEL you can find much more.
Almost immediately after the foundation of this project, KOTEBEL self release the album "Structures" a wonderful and imaginative voyage that starts in Classical Music and reaches Symphonic Rock but every time I listen it I can feel an evident JEAN-LUC PONTY influence from the era of Aurora and a hint of STEVE HACKETT..
After releasing "Structures" it was obvious for Carlos Acosta that the project was out of his hands, it had grown so much that it deserved to take the form of a stable band more than an album based project with specific musicians to complement him and a label to work with them so in the year 2000 KOTEBEL signs with Musea Records.
In December 2001 KOTEBEL releases their second CD called "Mysticae Visiones" which sounds closer To soft Symphonic in the vein of CAMEL but with a strong ENID and Fusion influence plus a touch of Minimalism.
KOTEBEL'S third release "Fragments of Light" was released in September 2003 and now we're in great trouble, describing it is almost an epic adventure because the music gets richer with every release, to the usual, CAMEL, THE ENID; HACETT and GENESIS influences we must add the usual Fusion and a very complex blend of Spanish Flamenco and Moorish sounds creating something that exceeds every possible description, surely is one of the most elaborate forms of Symphonic and Prog in general.
We had to wait three more years for their third release "Omphalos" which I haven't heard yet but is one of the first things in my list for the next weeks.
Couldn't end this short bio without mentioning that KOTEBEL is not only Carlos Plaza but a combined effort of excellent musicians like Carlos Acosta (Flute, EW5, Cuatro); Carolina Prieto (Vocals), Adriana Perez (Keyboards), Cesar García Forero (Guitar); Jaime Pascual (Bass) and Carlos Franco (Drums & Percussion).
If you have the chance to get any of their albums, don't doubt it, the musical experience is extremely rewarding.
Iván Melgar Morey - Perú
http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=397 
