Francis Goya Belgian composer and guitarist Date of Birth: 16.05.1946 Country: Belgium

1. Biography of Francis Goya
2. Early Career
3. International Success
4. Latin American Influence
5. Later Career
6. Recent Years

Biography of Francis Goya

Francis Goya (real name Francis Weyer) is a Belgian composer and guitarist. He was born on May 16, 1946, in Liege, Belgium, into a family of musicians. At the age of twelve, thanks to his parents, he acquired his first guitar. Four years later, Francis and his brother formed their first band, 'The Jivaros', and started experimenting with soul music. Later, when Lou Deprijk became the lead singer of the band in 1966, the brothers changed the group's name to 'The Liberty Six'.

Early Career

Francis Weyer didn't have to wait long for invitations to join professional musical groups. In 1970, he began performing with the 'J.J. Band'. He played with the band for several years, taking part in the creation of two albums and touring Denmark, Switzerland, the UK, and several African countries. In 1975, Francis Weyer decided to start his solo career. He adopted the stage name 'Francis Goya' and began recording his debut album. His first single, 'Nostalgia', dedicated to his father's memory, brought Francis worldwide fame.

International Success

Throughout the 80s, Francis Goya embarked on numerous tours around the world, including Asia, Russia, Latin America, and South Africa. His reputation as a jazz and rock guitarist reached incredible heights. During breaks between tours, Francis never stopped working on new albums. The result of his work is 35 records, most of which became 'gold' and 'platinum' selling.

Latin American Influence

Francis Goya was a great admirer of Latin American music, and in 1991, he released his first 'Brazilian' album, 'Bahia Lady'. Over the next two years, from 1992 to 1993, Francis recorded two more albums of Latin American songs, 'Noche Latino' and 'Festival Latino', with Bolivian singer Carmina Cabrera. In addition, Francis twice conducted the Eurovision Orchestra, in Italy in 1991 and Ireland in 1993.

Later Career

In 2000, Francis Goya collaborated with Richard Clayderman on a new instrumental album called 'Together'. The following year, Francis performed a grand concert in Estonia, accompanied by the Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Jean-Luc Drion. In memory of his successful performance in Estonia, Goya released an instrumental album featuring compositions by the great Estonian composer Raimond Valgre. In May 2002, Francis Goya presented his album of arrangements of Alexandra Pakhmutova's works in Russia, where she had been one of his favorite composers for many years.

Recent Years

For the past ten years, Francis Goya has been on almost constant tours, performing concerts in Eastern and Western Europe, the USA, Canada, Singapore, and Indonesia. In 2008, he embarked on a major tour of South African countries. Francis Goya is passionate about blending Latin American rhythms with classical music, excelling in all styles. He is known for the unmatched quality of his arrangements and the originality of his tour programs, which he develops himself.

In October 2007, Goya held a charity concert in Nivelles, Belgium, to support a foundation combating cancer.