A self-taught guitarist, heartland-raised Roni Benise had a life-altering experience a decade ago when he heard flamenco music wafting from a radio in his Los Angeles neighborhood.

Benise (pronounced ben-ESS-say) “let this music into my heart” and started on an amazing musical journey.

That journey has taken him from coast to coast, and to the wine country, to which he’ll return with a Latin spectacle Sunday afternoon. It has also spawned seven recordings and led to a PBS special which earned an Emmy Award for Benise and company.

This remarkable journey has brought him to a point where he’s now considered a New Age flamenco guitarist/vocalist/sex symbol, the man behind a dazzling show of singers and dancers that incorporates the musical heritages of Spain, France, Africa, Egypt, Brazil and the Caribbean islands of Puerto Rico and Cuba.

In fact, a recent visit to Havana served as inspiration for a brand new segment of the show Benise is bringing to Lincoln Theater this weekend.

Although he plays to enthusiastic crowds today, Benise’s cathartic exploration of Latin music didn’t endear him to booking agents and club owners at first.

He took his music literally to the streets, playing everything from neighborhood theaters to flea markets where he quickly established a following.

His initial efforts at producing an evening of Latin entertainment proved successful, leading to his popular “Nights of Fire!” spectacle, which was videotaped and broadcast on PBS nationwide. It is still being broadcast today.

The mixture of material in “Nights of Fire!” includes Brazilian samba, Cuban salsa, Spanish flamenco, Argentine tango, even African tribal chants and drums. The production’s incredible costumes were acknowledged with an Emmy Award.

Benise says he’s most comfortable when presenting “a fusion of all styles. I appreciate music from all over the world and I believe that feeling has allowed me to embrace them all, to incorporate them into the songs that I write, the music we sing, the shows we perform. When people ask what it is, I tell them it’s a combination of blues, jazz, salsa, rock and more, but in a hipper style.”

The show that he’s bringing to Napa Valley on Sunday will feature, for its first segment, “old Havana,” Benise pointed out during a phone conversation last weekend. “I spent two weeks in Havana — I got permission to travel there to study Cuban music. I flew directly from LAX to Havana.

“That’s how I get the inspiration for the music I write, listening to and studying the music of a region and then I am able to give it my own interpretation.”

Benise said the first half of Sunday’s program will focus on Cuban salsa, “with salsa piano and a complete horn section. Then, after intermission, we’ll do the ‘Nights of Fire!’ show.”

Since he appeared at the Robert Mondavi Summer Music Festival last year, the guitarist/performer has been busy writing music for and recording his seventh CD — which focuses on Cuban sounds — and putting together and rehearsing material and dances for the show he’s now taking on a 23-date, coast-to-coast tour this fall.

“When we come off this tour, we’ll be filming our next PBS special,” he added.

While most cast members remain the same as the ones featured at the Mondavi show, this time around the company will be able to use set and lights that were not employed at Mondavi. Additional costumes will add to the colorful presentation.

Behind-the-scenes talent includes director Amy Tinkham (Paul McCartney, Dixie Chicks, Madonna) and Brazilian-born choreographer Alex Magno (Madonna, Ballet Hispanico), who’ll be dancing in the show at Lincoln Theater Sunday afternoon.

Benise and company are slated to perform at 5 p.m. in Lincoln Theater at the Veterans Home of California at Yountville. Tickets range from $45 to $100. They can be purchased by calling the theater box office at 944-1300 or at www.lincolntheater.com.