On Sept. 26, the recital hall was nearly packed. People of all ages were ready to see timple player Germán Lopez perform, presented by the Jewel Box Series.

Germán Lopez has performed all over the world but this was his first time performing in America and the excitement could be felt throughout the building.

The timple originates from the Canary Islands. Lopez’s style of music audibly transports you to a tropical island.

As he entered the stage, guitarist Antonio Toledo followed. Lopez opened the show with a solo from his timple. Toledo subtly added his guitar, falling in perfect harmony with each other.

“I liked the music because it was entertaining,” NEIU student Emmanuel Adekunle said. “It made people dance and be happy.”

The music was calm and relaxing, almost taking you away to a summer beach vacation. To put it simply, Germán Lopez and Antonio Toledo were phenomenal.

The audience danced in their seats and enjoyed the melody of the timple and guitar together. They received a wonderful round of applause after each song.

Every note flowed seamlessly creating the perfect melody for each song.

Both artists moved quickly in their seats as they performed, keeping up with the beat and feeling the rhythm of their own music. They made eye contact constantly, barely looking at their instruments while playing. Interestingly they had no sheet music and everything was memorized.

Almost every song calmed towards the end and then they would abruptly end on a very loud and fast note.

The music required the musician’s expertise and kept you thinking about what was going to be the next note to be played.

“The concert went well and people enjoyed his music and the way he played it,” Adekunle said.