flamenco Classical Music of the Soul
For Performance Call: 910.508.2072
“The name de Soto is steeped in both Flamenco and American history, and I am proud of that fusion
and influence on my music” - Mito
Mito de Soto is a well-known Spanish-American guitarist. His nickname Mito is a play on words; translated into English, mito means 'myth' but phonetically may be misinterpreted as a diminutive for Miguelito. De Soto uses mito as a unique musical nickname incorporating both his first and last names interpreting Mito de Soto as "myth of the grove."
The Spanish surname de Soto originates from several places in Spain: El soto, a subsection of northern Madrid; Soto de Ribera, approximately 70 kilometers north of Madrid; The Grove, approximately 55 kilometers southwest of Santiago de Compestela (Compestela being where the remains of St. James are said to be buried); and finally, Soto del Barco in the north central part of Spain in the Asturias region near Avila and Oviedo.
Mito’s specific lineage originates in the town of Soto del Barco, literally translated as “Ship of the Grove.” The town of Soto del Barco maintains glorious vistas of quintessentially Spanish land and seascapes. Situated on El Mar Cantábrico (The Cantabrian Sea), Soto del Barco has always had an active seaport from which it derives its name.
El Cantábrico, Vista de Soto del Barco, España
La Taberna del Peñón, Soto del Barco, España (restaurante)
The espresso as well as the family atmosphere is to die for at this quaint little restaurant. - Mito
The name Soto, and/or de Soto, is steeped in Flamenco history: in the 19th century, Manuel Soto developed the style of flamenco guitar playing known today as the Seguiriyas. This Flamenco style is coveted by Flamenco musicians as a means of lament, and Mito is proud of carrying out his ancestor Manuel’s Flamenco heritage into the 21st century.
Soto del Barco - crest
Historically, Mito’s ancestor, Hernando de Soto, landed in the Americas in (c.1538) to search for the famed “fountain of youth” as well as the "City of Gold". Journeying through Florida, Georgia & Louisiana, De Soto eventually died (c.1542) near the Mississippi river from pneumonia complications, but not before he fathered Mito’s ancestors who carried on the family name. For the next one hundred and fifty years or so the de Soto family lived between the mouth of the Mississippi River (c.1549) and what is now eastern Texas (c.1680). Between 1680 – 1900, the de Soto’s continued to make journeys between Spain and Mexico, frequently intermarring with natives along the Gulf of Mexico coastline. Cerca 1930, Mito’s immediate patriarchal grandparents, de Soto’s, decided to settle in Gomez Palácio, Durango, Mexico.
Although Mito derives great pride from his patriarchal heritage, he also finds strength in his matriarchal heritage. French-Canadian and Scot-Irish in origin, his matriarchal names are Wilkins and Napton. In the late 1600’s, the Wilkins had been sent from Scotland to Ireland to work land crops for England. The Wilkins, or the Kin (relations) of Wil (William of Scotland), harvested the land in County Cork, Ireland until they fled the hunger of the great Potato Famine of Ireland of the 1800’s. Shortly after the famine – and after generations of slave labor – many families returned to Scotland and England. However, some families stole away on ships to the Americas, Canada, and northern Spain; the Wilkins family was one of them.
On the other side of Mito’s matriarchal family are the French Huguenots; the Naptons who were skilled trappers, seamstresses and woodworkers. At the turn of the 19th century, most of the Naptons immigrated to Canada and settled in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia and Montreal, Quebec.
Paul's Street, Cork City, Ireland
Patrick Street, Cork City, Ireland
Acadian Dancers Sand Mermaid, Halifax Citadel National More Acadian Dancers
Clam Harbour Historic Site
Griffintown Horse Ive Roses Parc l'anse-a-l'orme
Palace
The historical fusion of Spanish and Irish cultural influences that characterize Mito’s background is also particularly evident in northern Spain. Celtic influence in northern Spain’s Asturias region can be seen not only in the region’s inhabitants, but also most notably in its music. For example, “Celtic Corto”, a rock group from northern Spain, combines Irish Folk-Rock rhythms and instrumentation with Spanish lyrics.
Mito is proud of his lineage and continually expounds on the importance of knowing one's past to excel at one's future. This is applicable to his music knowledge and influence as well. (see: "The Music Influence")
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