| Tierra Flamenca Artists Francine Sweet – bailaora (dancer) Dancing since age five, Francine traversed the globe with her dance and has gone through the rites of formation in flamenco in Jerez de la Frontera, the birthplace of the art form. While dancing in the Parrilla family tablao and other traditional venues in Seville, Jerez, and Germany she has had the opportunity to share the stage with a number of legends including Manuel Parrilla and Niño Jero. In her artistic journey she has brought ´Soniquete de Jerez´ to perform in Indonesia and Taiwan, and co-founded the flamenco studio ´ Esencia Flamenca.´ Recently she collaborated with Antonio Vargas, as guest artist in Singapore and Australia, and in 2007 she made her New Zealand debut as apart of The Southern Opera´s ´Carmen.´ Having dedicated most of her life to work and study with the gypsies and the flamencos of Jerez, her dancing expresses a strong temperament and ´instinto flamenco´ (flamenco instinct) – a rare quality in a dancer. Jose Luis Bermudez Peña (Percussionist/Palmero) "Luis de la Tota", is one of the most recognized palmeros in Spain. Palmas (handclapping) and jaleo (flamenco-´rap´) are all-important and extremely complex elements of both traditional and contemporary Flamenco. Luis has accompanied some of the greatest singers, dancers and guitarists of his country, including Manuela Carrasco, Cristina Hoyos, Los Montoya Juanito Villar, Jose Merce, Vicente Amigo. He creates an essential groove and uplifts with his own unique variety of jaleo. Jonatan Miro – bailaor (dancer) Jonatan is a charismatic rising star with an excellent base of company work, notably with Antonio Canales and The Spanish National Ballet. In 2007 he won the prize for the most outstanding dancer in the XVI Certamen Coreográfico de Danza Española y Flamenco de la Comunidad de Madrid. He has danced in the best tablaos of Madrid. His dancing combines sleek attack, sexy distinction, and brilliant rhythmic acuity. Manuel de la Malena – cantaor (singer) Manuel is from one of the most important flamenco dynasties in Jerez de la Frontera, and is one of the region´s most called-upon singers. He has sung for all the great flamenco artists of this generation including Manuela Carrasco. His talent shined from a very early age when he was included in the famous CD ´Nueva Frontera del Cante de Jerez´ alongside heavyweights Tio Borrico, Rubichi, and Morao. His voice is known for its power and emotion and rare form of expression (cante ´rancio´) that echoes the black sound of flamenco´s origins. He has been endowed with the most important prizes for cante in Andalucia, including the Premio de la Minas, and the Premio National de Cordoba. Ana de Los Reyes – cantaora (singer) Internationally famed for her work with Joaquin Cortes in all the great metropolitan theatres, Ana is the epitome of the modern flamenco singer, a high priestess of duende, enchanting all around her. She has participated in several well-known CD´s, including the popular Duende y Compas series, and she has sung for Antonio Canales and Javier Baron, A recent quote from the LA Times said ´in the powerful vocals of Ana de Los Reyes there was a feeling that flamenco music has taken off on a roller-coaster ride – exhilerating, but scary. Jesus Alvarez – guitarrista (guitarist) No one who claims to care about the sounds a human being can wrest from a guitar can miss the chance to hear one of the best guitarists to emerge in the last ten years from the intense guitar scene in Spain. A brilliant accompanist, Jesus plays for the country´s best young dancers, including Domingo Ortega and Rafael Campallo. His international appointments are numerous and have included venues such as the Hollywood Bowl. He has performed and recorded with El Capullo, Diego del Morao, and Juan Moneo ´El Torta´ among others. Return to Upcoming Performances Purchase Tickets |
