Cantinero is the musical pen name of British singer-songwriter Chris Hicken.
A veteran of a number of English bands, Hicken earned the nickname -– the Spanish word for "bartender" –- while tending bar in New York for many years.
He recently released his debut CD, Championship Boxing, a collection of introspective pop songs recorded in New York's Lovely Studios -- which happen to be a spare bedroom in the singer's New York apartment.
The CD captures the sound of city apartment life: dripping taps, background television and the barking of Hicken's own coonhound Ruby.
NPR's Sheilah Kast recently visited Hicken's Lovely Studios to talk about his music.
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