Dear friends and music buff, as announced, the new February / March 2022 issue of prestigious German magazine Akoustik Gitarre has been published.
On page 20 there is my interview, written as a story by the talented Andreas Boer!

Im so glad for this beautiful opportunity. Also my name is mentioned on the magazine's cover, next to a giant of music like Cat Stevens; it's not happen every day!

Together with the magazine has been released a CD of a nice compilation, containing also my song "La Strada", which I played with Dominic Miller, taken from my last Album - Sound of The Rainbow. 
The magazine, as you can see, is in German, but below you may find the relevant English translation of the story. 
Enjoy the reading!

LIKE AIR TO BREATH
Rino De Patre

It's hard to believe that Rino De Patre, of all people, who has presented a wonderfully quiet, subtle second album with "Sound Of The Rainbow", was on the road for years as an electric guitarist in funk, soul and rock bands.
But it's true: "When I studied at the Conservatorio di Musica Luisa d'Anunzio in Pescara, and later at the Conservatorio Statale di Musica Alfredo Casella in L'Aquila, I was active in various bands on the side and covered songs by Steely Dan, Tower of Power, Kool & The Gang or James Brown," says the Milanese, who grew up in Atri on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. "But at some point there came a time when I decided to concentrate entirely on the classical guitar. I wanted to develop a distinctive personal sound and compose my own pieces. Of course, the classical guitar is something like my comfort zone, so I'm constantly looking for new ways to do things and I get inspired by music from all over the world. The discipline I got used to during my studies helps me with that."
When Rino says "constantly", he means it literally: The professional musician spends many hours every day fine-tuning melodies, his playing technique and his extremely cultivated, expressive tone. "I really practise a lot, and I can't help it," laughs the 51-year-old, "I need music to compose like I need air to breathe, it's a great gift, when ideas come to me, I fall into a trance-like state. Melodies run through my head from early in the morning until evening, it's now something completely natural for me to arrange and write them down."
Many guitarists like to talk about feeling being more important to them than technique. With Rino DePatre, you don't have the slightest doubt that it's all about the music for him. The pieces on his new CD sound very focused and tidy, they are free of ballast and unnecessary banter. "Certainly it is important to have a good technique. That's why I practice so hard. But basically I just look at technique as a means to tell my ideas and stories and express them through melody. In other words, I don't look at technique as a way to show my skills."
The fact that Rino De Patre sounds the way he does has a lot to do with his choice of instrument, in addition to his craftsmanship. He plays a small-sized nylon string made by the Japanese company Yairi, which is very difficult to get in Europe. "For many years I had a traditional classical guitar as my main instrument, which was not very comfortable. Then I met Dominic Miller and his small Torres guitar at a guitar festival near Milan. I was immediately fascinated by its special timbre and the comfortable feel. I really looked for this special Yairi for a long time, until one day I discovered one in a music shop - in the middle of Milan. She was waiting for me there. Since then we have been inseparable."
The same goes for Dominic Miller. Rino De Patre has kept in touch with the Sting guitarist and has been performing with him regularly since 2008. This also explains why Dominic Miller can be heard as a guest on two tracks on the new CD "Sound Of The Rainbow".