Rafael Alfaro Kotte

Rafael Alfaro Kotte (born September 19, 1962 in Dortmund ; † September 16, 2005 in Freiburg im Breisgau ) (also "Ratzel Alfhardt") grew up in Weener / East Friesland and was an accordionist and composer.

Life

Rafael Alfaro Kotte learned piano accordion, piano and composition from 1972 to 1981 with his grandfather Paul Siegfried Gottfried Kotte, classical and flamenco guitar in self-study and with Burkard Gröbl (musician from Freiburg). Since 1977 he has composed pieces for guitar , accordion and piano . His music was often Spanish-oriental in color, but in the end it combined a European melody with harmonious-baroque construction principles. His music was strongly influenced by currents of international folk music , such as musettes , tangos , polkas , etc.

In the early 1980s he moved to Freiburg im Breisgau to study there. In Freiburg he played with many musicians from the Freiburg music scene over the years and was known to the entire artist scene. In 1989 he composed and made music for the Wallgraben Theater in Freiburg, he repeatedly played his compositions with the accordion during many performances of the Freiburg Children's and Youth Theater , played at the opening of the Pforzheim City Theater in 1990, sang tango with the Argentinian bandoneonist Miguel Fernández at the age of 80 Juan Manuel Fangio's birthday at a ceremony in 1991 in Stuttgart.

In 1996 he founded Grupo Solfeo together with Franz Lindlar and Jürgen Sutter . From 1998 to 2001 he worked in Brandenburg and lived in Potsdam, where he made contact with the painter Gerhard Gampfer. He then worked as a freelance musician and composer in Freiburg. His compositions have been played by Carmen Hey and HotelOst (Mainz), among others. He composed the accompanying music for the puppet theater Laura Anderland by Anne Thaler. In 2004/05 he composed the score for the film Lovers by Raphael Maria Büchel. In 2005, Alfaro Kotte died of a heart attack.

Grupo Solfeo

Grupo Solfeo (Spanish solfeo : solfeggieren or making music according to notes) were founded in 1996 in Freiburg im Breisgau around the accordionist Rafael Alfaro Kotte under the name "Trio Solfeo". In the original line-up, Trio Solfeo consisted of Alfaro Kotte, the guitarist Franz Lindlar (until 2002) and the double bass player Jürgen Sutter (until 2001). In 2000/01 the group expanded to include violinist Thomas Zipp and bassist Arnd Schröder. Since 2001 the group has played with Alfaro Kotte, accordion, Katharina Mlitz-Hussain, violin and Johannes Büttner, electric bass. After the death of Alfaro Kotte in 2005, the group broke up. The music of the Grupo Solfeo was characterized by the fact that it played exclusively compositions by Alfaro Kotte and was characterized by musettes, waltzes, tangos, csárdás, polkas and other currents of European folk music.

Musician:

• Rafael Alfaro Kotte, accordion, guitar
• Franz Lindlar, guitar
• Jürgen Sutter (* 1970), double bass
• Thomas Zipp, violin
• Arnd Schröder (* 1960), double bass, electric bass
• Katharina Mlitz-Hussain (* 1968), violin
• Johannes Büttner (* 1969), electric bass, piano, trombone, tuba

Sound carrier CD:

• Grupo Solfeo "Ansia" 2003

In a review of the Badische Zeitung on Friday, June 27, 2003 in the CD-TIPP section , it says:

World tour in 18 miniatures: Grupo Solfeo with “Ansia”. He got his accordion skills from his grandfather in East Friesland, his Spanish heritage later led him to the classical and flamenco guitar as an autodidact. Iberian spark and Frisian coolness - is that possible? In Rafael Alfaro Kotte's compositions there are far more folklore allusions to fruitful relationships. With his trio, the native of Freiburg happily explores the world map in 18 miniatures. Supported by the sometimes fiery, sometimes melancholy sighing violin by Katharina Mlitz-Hussain and the solid accompanying bass by Johannes Büttner, he guides us through 1001 nights. Notions of the heavy Russian soul creep in, a lively musette waltz turns, klezmer and Hungarian moods à la Brahms send their regards, tango set pieces mischievously paired with classic building blocks.