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Something for everyone at Guitar Festival

Tooz Company: Steve Crawford and LaTannia Ellerbe (Photograph supplied)

Bach, Bob Marley and Bon Jovi are all on the bill for music fans and the Bermuda Guitar Festival’s line-up means there is something for everyone.

The 16th annual event opens on Thursday when Tooz Company will perform their own arrangements of rock classics made hits by bands like Guns ‘N’ Roses.

Steve Crawford, a guitarist, and LaTannia Ellerbe, a violinist, make up the duo, which has achieved a “small following” thanks the enduring appeal of their cover versions.

Ms Ellerbe said the pair had worked together since September to hone their act.

She explained: “They are rock classics but also we’ve mixed in a few jazz standards and even one classical piece, it’s a good eclectic mix between the violin and the guitar.

“I think it’s amazing how much of a band we can create with two instruments ... we’ve managed to cover a lot.”

Ms Ellerbe added the guitar festival offered good opportunities for young people “to see what’s possible”.

Mr Crawford, who launched the event in 2004, said the Tooz Company performance will mark the first time the festival had included a concert at the Bermuda Musical and Dramatic Society.

He added: “It’s a chance to show people what the guitar is capable of doing, and obviously the violin as well.

“You can arrange anything for the guitar and it sounds different, but at the same time it should still hold the beauty of the original.”

Tooz Company will be followed on Saturday with a show at St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church on Church Street, when Jerremiah Smith will classical guitar favourites and original compositions before visiting artist Walter Rodrigues Jr takes to the stage.

Mr Rodrigues, who is Brazilian and lives in Miami, is expected to perform jazz standards, hymns and popular songs.

The guitar festival website explained that his 2003 album Beyond Words earned him a “respected place as a composer, producer, and instrumentalist in the professional music world”.

It added: “With his latest recording, My Favourite Hymns, and his arrangements for solo jazz guitar being sold to more than 30 countries around the world, Walter has captivated a new audience.

“His ability to reinterpret familiar hymns and give them interest has garnered worldwide appreciation for his creative approach to otherwise traditional music.”

Mr Rodrigues will host a free masterclass on Sunday at 10am at the Bermuda School of Music at the Berkeley Cultural Centre on Berkeley Road, Pembroke.

A free student gala will be held from 1pm on the same day at St Andrew’s Church.

Tickets are available at the Bermuda School of Music, Music Box, on Reid Street, Hamilton, or online at ptix.bm.