Victor Puertas

The blues and its stories

For a long time, Victor Puertas did not think that he would one day become a professional musician performing on stage. It was only in his mid-20s that he decided to pursue this career. Now, he is one of the world’s most in-demand blues harmonica players.

The first harmonica
Victor grew up in a small Catalan town very close to Barcelona. His father came from Marrakesh in the west of Morocco – still a Spanish colony at the time.

When Victor was 13 years old, his older brother Santos gave him a harmonica. Santos was already a guitarist and mainly played blues music. Victor is blown away by these sounds, listens, tries out and quickly learns to transfer this type of music to his harmonica. Victor is just 14 or 15 years old when he is already on stage with Santos. Early enough to feel free. Free from fear and stage fright. These early performances were the perfect start, Victor would later say.

The blues in him
He continued to learn, listening to blues in all its variations, from all eras and with a wide variety of musicians. They are his teachers, they are the ones he imitates, until Victor finally finds his very own style – as if the blues had matured in him.

After school, Victor starts studying and works in a hospital at the same time. He tries to master both music and work. But in the end, music won out and his decision to pursue a career as a musician was made. He says it wasn’t easy at first. But he doesn’t regret this step for a second. Since then, hardly a day goes by without music.

Traveling
Nevertheless, he always looks at himself and what he does from the outside. He always takes a step back to maintain his balance and, above all, the joy of making music. Victor loves traveling through different countries, playing on different stages and meeting people. Every moment is different, every place has a different energy. And he says of himself that his energy and his playing have changed over the years. It is precisely this – the movement and development – that he appreciates about his work.

Victor still plays together with his brother Santos today: as the Suitcase Brothers, they celebrate their music: strong and expressive. They sing and play the blues, transferring the heartbeat of this music to their audience. Victor loves doing both – singing and playing the harmonica.

The words that are said, and those that are not said, form stories in the music that want to be told. Victor lives for these stories and for the blues – now and in the future.