Grand Island, Nebraska, USA | 1965-01-10

Roni Benise (best known as Benise and pronounced Buh-ness-see), is an American guitarist who describes his style as "nouveau spanish flamenco." After growing up in Nebraska, Benise moved to Los Angeles to pursue rock stardom. After hearing flamenco music on the radio, he switched from electric guitar to nylon-stringed classical guitar. He and a group of friends began busking on the street and playing neighborhood theaters and flea markets. From these performances, he quickly established a following. Benise and his friends came up with an act that married Latin rhythms to a circus atmosphere. He fuses world music (specifically, strongly Latin-flavored styles such as flamenco, salsa, tango, and samba underscored by African tribal rhythms) with rock, to create a sound that appeals to mainstream music fans and aficionados of world music. The mixture caught the attention of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and led to his 2006-2007 Nights of Fire! production that has aired on many PBS-affiliated stations,[6] and won an Emmy Award. The show is a blend of theater and music, drawing from Spanish flamenco, Argentine tango, and Brazilian samba. To date, Benise has produced eight CDs (seven studio, one live) and 2 DVDs. He owns an independent record label, Rosanegra Music.