Ever since his days as a five-year-old pop musician, the Spanish guitarist has embraced both ancient and modern music.

What first drew you to the guitar?

My father was playing in a pop music band. He was playing guitar, a bit of bass, also lute – this kind of lute which is like the big brother of the mandolin, with double strings so you play with a pick. And also he played accordion. So I grew up in this musical environment. He was not a professional, but music was around me all the time. My mum convinced my father to teach me when I was four, so I started to play guitar – playing chords, accompaniment and then when I was five I got into the band.

It was funny, because this band was formed by retired people. My father wasn’t retired but the rest of the members were about 60. So it was really funny to see one five-year-old child playing the guitar – I was really small and all of them really old. I was kind of an attraction. I played with them for something like seven years. I was playing popular music from the beginning and...