Pavlo

Pavlo Simtikidis, aka Pavlo, is a Canadian-born guitarist of Greek heritage known for his genre-bending sound that combines flamenco, Latin pop, jazz, and Mediterranean folk traditions. Born in Toronto in 1969, Pavlo grew up in a family of Greek immigrants and first started playing guitar around age ten. He debuted in 1998 with a self-titled album that reached gold certification status. In 2001, he returned with the similarly successful Fantasia, which earned him a Juno Award nomination for Best Instrumental Album. More well-received efforts followed, including 2002's I Feel Love Again, 2006's Irresistible, and 2008's Mediterranean Nights. In 2009, he paired with Triumph's Rik Emmett and Oscar Lopez for Trifecta, which garnered him a second Juno Award nomination for Instrumental Album of the Year. Two years later, he returned with Six String Blvd, followed in 2015 by Guitarrados, a collaboration with guitarist Remigio Pereira. In 2016, he delivered the concert album Live in Kastoria, which found him performing in his parents' hometown in Greece. ~ Matt Collar