(♪♪♪) - (female narrator): This is Ioana Gandrabur, an internationally renowned performer from Montreal.

- (dubbed): A guitar is really almost like a time machine.

- This is Juan Miguel Ramos, a friendly Andalusian who goes by the nickname El Plazoleta.

- (dubbed): I live music everyday.

I listen to music all day long, even as I work.

- They'll be our guides on a fabulous six string journey that will take us from Spain to Canada, from the soft sounds of classical guitar to the spirited rhythms of flamenco.

Blind or partially sighted, the musicians featured in this series are living out their musical dreams.

They teach us to be true to ourselves, no matter what.

Their stories are examples of hard work, dedication and passion which make us truly see music.

On Sherbrooke street in the Montreal neighbourhood of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, a sculptor and a musican share a small, unpretentious artist's studio.

If you listen closely when you pass by, you can often hear the enchanting sound of a guitar.

True musical connoisseurs will recognize the tune as part of the baroque repertoire.

It is a delicate music, played with a perfect blend of gentleness and poise by Ioana Gandrabur, a highly talented guitarist who was born in Romania, but now lives in Canada.

(♪♪♪) - Iam Ioana Gandrabur and I'm a classical guitarist.

Ever since Ican remember, music was an important part of my life.

Iremember when Iwas a baby, my parents would ask me: "Do you want us to tell you a story "or do you want to listen to music?

And Ialways said: listen to music!

Listen to music!

No matter what toy I was given, if it could make a sound, Itried to use it to create a melody or to play songs which Ialready knew.

- She shares the studio we find ourselves in with her husband Mitchell who is a sculptor.

The magnificent sculptures with which the room is decorated, mostly of human bodies, can be seen even by a casual observer to possess great artistic merit.

- I'm really lucky because I'm married to a sculptor, in essence to a fellow artist, I mean, he gets it.

Because he is able to relate to and understand my artistic process, but at the same time, because we're in different disciplines, we are not, in any sense, competing with each other.

There's no tension between us.

- (dubbed): Ioana is my muse, but not just in one sense.

Isculpt all the emotions which Iwork into my sculptures, and it comes from our relationship... and our life together.

- Next to Ioana, Mitchell is working on a sculpture of an elongated woman which Ioana touches.

- Iimagine that, as you go, you're going to add more texture.

Is that the idea?

Ah, that's how it is.

- No, Itake it off, and in the end, it will have less texture.

- This is a little bit like a sanctuary, our little artist corner.

Mitch and I spend practically every single day working in our studio.

Me, Ipractice my guitar.

(♪♪♪) Musically, Ifeel most at home with classical music, like the music of Bach.

But also, of course, with music that was written for the guitar, Spanish music, so classical guitar.

- But when Ihear Ioana play, sometimes Ijust stop working, and I sit back, listen and relax.

letting myself be inspired, or sometimes it's just in the background, she's doing her work, I'm working too, and we're comfortable together.

- In the Southern Iberian peninsula, not far from popular destinations like Cadiz et Seville, is the town of Sanlúcar de Barrameda.

This is the heart of Andalusia, the land of flamenco.

The scenic streets, the bodegas, the sea and above all, the unique sound of an expressive guitar.

Everything one associates with Spain.

(♪♪♪) The magnificent performance which we're hearing as nimble fingers pass lightly from chord to chord, is by Juan Miguel, whose nickname is El Plazoleta.

- My name is Juan Miguel Ramos Acevedo.

I describe myself as a guitarist and a singer because I like both.

I like music in general.

Sometimes, they call me Plazoleta, which Idon't mind.

It's the name I gave myself.

In the Marinero neighbourhood where Igrew up, there's a plazoleta, called Plaza San Francisco with two churches.

It's where I used to play as a child.

Ialways said: I'm going to the plazoleta.

If anyone asked, Juanito was always at the plazoleta.

As a teenager, when Istarted to sing, Idecided to call myself Plazoleta.

And it stuck.

(♪♪♪) - Ole!

- Ever since Iwas a child, I've loved the guitar.

Ibegan learning to play when Iwas nine or ten.

It's when Ipicked up a guitar.

And I'm mostly self-taught.

(♪♪♪) Inever read sheet music.

Ihave a refined ear and started singing at my grandfather's house when Iwas five or six.

My grandfather also liked to sing.

He would sit me on his knee and sing to me.

My uncle loved to sing, too.

- In the streets of seaside Sanlucar, Juan Miguel takes a walk with his uncle, Rafael Ahumada.

Juan's uncle is almost like a second father to him.

and has played a very important role in his life.

He mentored Juan when he first began playing music.

- (dubbed): When Juan was about three years old, you could already tell he was going to be a singer.

It's something that's clear from childhood.

You don't learn it when you're older or study it.

It's something you carry in your blood.

I used to say that I'd teach him a fandanguillo, and lazily sing one to him.

Within no time at all, he'd be facing the wall, as if he were punished.

He'd put his finger right up against his eye because at that time, he could still see a thread of light.

And he'd focus until he could sing it perfectly.

At three years of age.

- Good dog!

Let's go!

In the car!

- Go!

- Super!

- (female narrator): Ioana is an active woman who loves swimming, cross-country skiing, horseback riding and dragon boating.

But today, she's enjoying a tandem bike ride with Mitchell through the streets of downtown with her guide dog along for the ride.

They're going to pay a visit to Simona, Ioana's sister, with whom she's very close.

- ♪♪ Je rêve d'un vaste champ ♪ ♪ Couvert de neige épaisse ♪ ♪ Un champ immense tout blanc ♪ ♪ Où aucun arbre se dresse ♪ ♪ Je vais fermer les yeux ♪ ♪ Et sans souci, courir ♪♪ Finally, it's summer.

Here we are, on our balcony.

It does me so much good, being here with Simona, my sister.

It's been way too long since we last had the chance to be together and to make music together.

We were born in Romania, in Bucarest, the capital of Romania.

My sister is three years older than Iam.

But you know what?

We were always like best friends.

- We always shared one single room, one single big bed.

We were as thick as thieves back then.

We would read all the same books.

We were very close as children.

- ♪♪ Je vais fermer les yeux ♪ ♪ Et sans souci, courir ♪ ♪ Le plus vite que je peux ♪ ♪ Là où je le désire ♪♪ - Ithink that our parents had a lot of foresight.

They encouraged us from a very young age to make music.

- Our parents were always our biggest fans.

And they always did everything they could to make sure that we were able to achieve our dreams.

And it's like many people say, a musician's talent often needs to be nurtured by a supportive family.

It's true in my case, that's for sure.

- Ioana started playing the guitar at first.

She was playing just about everything from party music to country music or the Beatles, stuff like that.

But before too long, she had started to take classical guitar courses and her teacher was really impressed by her potential.

When she won the national guitar competition in Romania, she was just 12 years old.

- Thirteen, thirteen.

Well, 12 in the children category.

But one year later, I won in the adult category.

- She became a national celebrity very quickly.

So, in Romania, everybody knows Ioana Gandrabur.

(She sings in Romanian.)

- The guitar is kind of like my soul mate.

Or maybe my girlfriend.

Because Ialways thought of the guitar as a feminine thing.

So it's like my girlfriend.

But sometimes, you can have the absolute worst fights or the worst conflicts with your closest friends.

She's the one who gives me the most joy when things are good, when Ihave the chance to share my music with other people.

But there's also times when it doesn't go well or when Ineed to practice something and Ijust can't get it.

Those can be the most agonizing moments sometimes.

Ithink a guitar sort of evolves once you begin playing it regularly.

So Ithink that the sound of my guitar has evolved since Ibought it, when it was brand new.

And it has come to learn the sounds that Igive her.

So, that's very interesting.

There really is a relationship that develops between instrument and performer.

- (Juan Miguel, dubbed): Get the prize for the day!

The prize for the day!

- While Juan Miguel may be a very talented musician, he does not rely solely on his art to make a living.

He has a day job which provides him with a stable income.

- (dubbed): How are you, Don Juan?

Do you have one for 1,50?

- Of course!

Good luck!

Get the prize for the day!

The prize for the day!

I'm a salesperson for the ONCE.

My job consists of selling their products.

- For 24 years, Juan has worked for ONCE, the Organización Nacional de Ciegos Españoles, a group that works with the visually impaired in Spain.

Dressed in one of their instantly recognizable green and yellow jackets, he sells lottery tickets.

The profits of which serve to finance the organisation various programs.

- Idon't plan on leaving my job because it's what puts bread on the table.

I'm a salesperson for ONCE and I'll work there until Iretire.

But when Iretire, Ican fully dedicate myself to what Ilove.

Then, of course, if Ihave the opportunity the record an album, I'll try.

- Number two on la Calle de la Zorra, is a building which Juan Miguel knows well: la Peña Flamenca Puerto Lucero.

It's an intimate venue with a typical ambiance of a Spanish social club.

(♪♪♪) (He sings in Spanish.)

Juan has the good fortune t bump into a long-time companion, the singer Antonio Jurado.

Antonio has sung the flamenco on stages all over Europe, from Spain to Germany.

He and Juan Miguel have a very special bond.

- (dubbed): When Ifirst met him, Iwas impressed because he has a different way of playing.

Improvising with him is a moving experience for me because if the singing and playing don't gel with each other, it just doesn't work.

He transfers the music from his guitar to me.

(♪♪♪) - He's known me since Iwas little, like, ever since Iwas born.

We've sung saetas together and I've often accompanied him on my guitar.

He was the first to give me the opportunity to accompany a singer.

(♪♪♪) - I've played with many guitarists, but with him, we complement each other.

He's different from the rest.

- Many guitarists say that the way Iplay is uniquely my own.

(♪♪♪) - To me, he's a monster.

Not a Cookie monster, but a guitar playing monster.

(♪♪♪) - Yeah, 'cause you're a good girl.

Yes, you are.

Yeah.

- (female narrator): Ioana is able to navigate the streets of Montreal on her own thanks to her guide dog, a light-haired girl named Cheerios.

Whether at the park or walking down the stairs, her loyal companion is as efficient as she is obedient.

- Yes, good dog!

(dubbed): She travels with me everywhere that I go.

She's at my feet on the plane when I travel for concerts and festivals.

She even listened with me on stage when I was a judge for an international contest.

She carefully listened to all of the contestants.

So our relationship is one of both friendship and trust.

The adventure began when I born prematurely.

In fact, I was very, very small.

I weighed just 850 grams.

And there was too much oxygen in the incubator and that's what it was that damaged my eyes.

All my life, I've been blind.

That's how it all got started.

- (female narrator): Ioana likes to be recognized first and foremost as a musician, and for her disability to take a back seat.

Despite that, her blindness influences how she plays since she must learn to play everything by heart.

While access to braille sheet music was in the past very difficult, new technologies are now making her life easier.

- So, the braille is connected.

The braille display is connected via Bluetooth to my phone.

Ialready wrote things down beforehand.

Ihad someone dictate the score to me.

(She hums while playing.)

It's always like that.

Ihave to read a piece, then Imemorize it, then I play the guitar to see how it sounds.

And after that, Icontinue.

Technology has really opened up such incredible possibilities when it comes to braille.

Before, Iwould use this big machine, which made a ton of noise, to write on paper.

And if Imade a mistake, I had to start from scratch.

But now, with the new technology, I just use the braille display which is connected to my computer or even to my iPhone.

So I've got all my sheet music on my iPhone.

OK, so that's good.

Now, I'll pick up my guitar and play.

Finally.

That's what I wanted to do all along.

(She plays softly.)

(She plays louder.)

(She goes back to playing softly.)

What's really nice about classical guitar is that it's as if you're traveling through time.

It's really almost like a time machine because you can play music which was composed almost four centuries ago.

And it's as if you find yourself in another era, another life, another culture.

And that really expands your horizons, you know?

(♪♪♪) - Like so many of his fellow citizens in this region of "ultra Catholic Spain", Juan Miguel Ramos is a believer, and he has great devotion to the Virgin Mary.

(church bells ringing) In a white church dedicated to la Virgen del Rocio, he allows himself a moment of prayer.

Ever since he was a child, he has sung during religious services, often in honor of the patron saint of Andalusia.

- (dubbed): When I was young, I was a member of the first children's choir, the Hermandad del Rocio de Sanlucar.

Isang there and played a little guitar.

(sighing) I'll come back to see you tomorrow, my little Virgin.

Ihad a normal childhood.

Iwas a pioneer of the Integration.

That's when a visually impaired child studies in a regular school, not just an ONCE school.

So Inever had any insecurity about being blind or anything.

- (Rafael, dubbed): He was born perfect with full sight.

But he had the misfortune of catching a virus in the hospital.

And that virus caused an abscess above his eye.

He was so small, only about a month old.

They removed it, but the way they did it, they damaged one eye.

And because eyes are twins, one started affecting the other until eventually he couldn't see out of either.

For the visually impaired, other senses that we normally use less become more refined.

For example, consider the way he walks down the street.

I've tried closing my eyes and doing it like him, but I can't do it at all.

- We're arriving at my house.

Home at last!

Hello!

- Iadmire his skills, his art, his guitar, his singing.

Iadmire everything about him.

(♪♪♪) Ihope one day he'll sing one of my songs.

One of the ones I've written.

(♪♪♪) (He sings in Spanish.)

- Ilive music every day.

I listen to music all day long, even as Iwork.

I have my radio playing where Isell my tickets.

Ilive music day and night.

(He sings in Spanish.)

(theme song)