15th Chicago Flamenco Festival Announces Lineup of Dance, Film, Music and More
By: BWW News Desk Jan. 31, 2017
The expanded, five-week Festival features an impressive line-up of Flamenco's brightest young stars and critically acclaimed artists including the U.S. Premiere of Anabel Veloso's "Secreto A Voces."
This year's Festival will also feature debuts from Anabel Veloso, Alfonso Aroca, Josemi Carmona & Javier Colina, Alba Heredia and Isaac De Los Reyes along with Chicago-based Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theater, Clinard Dance Company, Chiara Mangiameli, KANTUZ and Volcano Radar with Elbio Barilari.
The 15th Chicago Flamenco Festival will be presented at the Instituto Cervantes of Chicago headquarters, 31 W. Ohio Street, February 24-March 25. Tickets are $20-$35.
The 15th Chicago Flamenco Festival kicks off with "The Andalusian Trail: Roots of Flamenco," a special preview performance at City Winery Chicago (1200 W. Randolph St.) on Tuesday, February 21 at 8:00 p.m. "The Andalusian Trail" is presented by world fusion ensemble Surabhi in collaboration with Las Guitarras de España and Intercultural Music Production. The concert traces Flamenco's Andalusia (southern Spain) roots and its influence from Indian, Arabic and African traditions with original and traditional repertoire featuring Spanish guitar, Arabo-Andalusian poetry, music by Ronnie Malley on oud and harmonium as well as Rajasthani folk dance by Kinnari Vora and flamenco and Mid-Eastern dance by Marisela Tapia.
This year's festival also features the Chicago Premiere of the documentary film J: BEYOND FLAMENCO (JOTA), directed by Carlos Saura (Carmen, Tango), in partnership with the 20th Annual Chicago European Union Film Festival and The Gene Siskel Film Center. The film will screen at the Gene Siskel Film Center on Saturday, March 11 at 6:30 p.m. and Thursday, March 16 at 8:30 p.m. In the film, Saura follows the dance and music of "la Jota." As in Flamenco, Tango or Fados, Jota has evolved from a millennial traditional music and dance. The film explores the boundaries of this art in its purest state.
In celebration of the Festival's 15th year, Instituto Cervantes of Chicago and the Chicago Flamenco Festival will collaborate with Flamenco Eñe, a program created by the Fundación SGAE based in Madrid to promote the Art of Flamenco outside Spain with concerts featuring extraordinary musicians, such as the Festival concerts "De Cerca" with Josemi Carmona & Javier Colina and "Orilla del Mundo" with Alfonso Aroca.
The 15th Chicago Flamenco Festival will also feature Flamenco brunches, symposiums, adults and kids dance and guitar workshops and family programs at Instituto Cervantes of Chicago during the Festival. These distinctive events further the Instituto Cervantes' dedication to bringing the finest of Spanish and Hispanic culture to Chicago.
Chicago Flamenco Festival 2017 Schedule*:
Instituto Cervantes of Chicago, 31 W. Ohio Street (unless otherwise noted)
*program subject to change
Friday, February 24 - 7:00 p.m.
Opening Night Concert & Reception
Anabel Veloso's "Secreto A Voces" with Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theater
Chicago's Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theater opens for dancer and stage director Anabel Veloso. In residence at Northeastern Illinois University, Ensemble Español boasts an extraordinary repertoire of over 130 works ranging from Spanish ballets, traditional Folkloric suites and Flamenco dramas. Founded in 1976 by Dame Libby Komaiko, the ensemble performs locally and internationally and presents their own annual American Spanish Dance Festival. Veloso will make her Chicago Flamenco Festival debut with the U.S. Premiere of her "Secreto a Voces." This prolific artistic production mirrors the courageous ease of those who feel flamenco as a creative need and clear cultural demand. "Secreto a Voces" shows the most intimate nature of the artist in front of the audience. Performing with Anabel Veloso are Jerónimo Segura, Flamenco Singer; and Tino van der Sman, Flamenco Guitar. A cocktail reception will follow immediately after the performance at Instituto Cervantes featuring Spanish food, wine, music and a Flamenco costume display provided by Ensemble Español.
Performance Schedule:
7:00-7:15 p.m. - Ensemble Español Dance Theater
7:15-8:30 p.m. - Anabel Veloso
8:30-10:00 p.m. - Cocktail Reception
Learn more about Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theater here.
Learn more about Anabel Veloso here.
Saturday, February 25 - 7:00 p.m.
Anabel Veloso's "Secreto A Voces" with Clinard Dance Company
Contemporary and American-style flamenco from Chicago's Clinard Dance Company opens for an encore performance of Anabel Veloso's "Secreto A Voces." Clinard Dance has pioneered a unique style of flamenco dance, pushing the limits of both a traditional flamenco quartet format and their original content-driven works. Performing with Anabel Veloso are Jerónimo Segura, Flamenco Singer; and Tino van der Sman, Flamenco Guitar.
Performance Schedule:
7:00-7:15 p.m. - Clinard Dance Company
7:15-8:30 p.m. - Anabel Veloso
Learn more about Clinard Dance Company here.
Wednesday, March 1** - 8:30 p.m.
Tamar Ilana & Ventanas
Toronto-based singer/dancer Tamar Ilana has lived and breathed traditional Mediterranean and Balkan music from girlhood, traveling and performing with her ethnomusicologist/singer mother. Her trans-Mediterranean ensemble Ventanas, founded in 2011, fuse passion and intimate dialogue, embracing the varied instrumental and melodic traditions of North Africa, the Balkans, Turkey and Spain to create fresh interpretations and original songs. Oud, baglama, darbuka, and percussive flamenco footwork intertwine with surprising harmony, joy and yearning. This unusual musical mix garnered the group two Canadian Folk Music Award nominations in 2015 for their album Arrelumbre.
**held at Old Town School of Folk Music, 4544 N Lincoln Ave. Chicago
Friday, March 3 - 7:00 p.m.
La Chimi with KANTUZ
Chicago-based Flamenco company KANTUZ opens for Seville, Spain-based Flamenco dancer Lakshmi Basile "La Chimi." La Chimi is the first non-Spanish artist to win the central flamenco contest, Concurso de las Minas de La Unión. She has also won the Concurso Nacional de Arte Flamenco e Córdoba. Performing with La Chimi are Bruno Serrano, Flamenco Dancer, Singer and Palmas; Jose Cortés, Flamenco Singer; and Andrés Vadin, Flamenco Guitar.
Performances Schedule:
7:00-7:15 p.m. - KANTUZ
7:15-8:30 p.m. - La Chimi
Learn more about Chiara Mangiameli here.
Saturday, March 4 - 7:00 p.m.
La Chimi
Instituto Cervantes of Chicago presents an encore performance of La Chimi's Friday, March 3 program. Performing with La Chimi are Bruno Serrano, Flamenco Dancer, Singer and Palmas; Jose Cortés, Flamenco Singer; and Andrés Vadin, Flamenco Guitar.
Friday, March 10 - 7:00 p.m.
Alfonso Aroca "Orilla Del Mundo"
Presented in partnership with Flamenco Eñe, a program to promote the art of Flamenco outside Spain created by Madrid-based Fundación SGAE, Flamenco pianist and composer Alfonso Aroca presents works from his piano and flamenco album "Orilla Del Mundo." The album symbolizes the early influences of Flamenco music from Africa, America, and the Orient that came together on Andalusian soil, the birthplace of Flamenco. A specialist in accompaniment for Flamenco singing and dancing, Aroca won First Prize in the XVI National Choreography Competition for Spanish Dance and Flamenco with Guadalupe Torres. Performing with Alfonso Aroca are Matías López Expósito, Flamenco Singer; Javier Martínez Rabadán, Percussion; and Abel Augusto Harana Calderón, Flamenco Dancer.
Learn more about Alfonso Aroca here.
Tuesday, March 14 - 7:00 p.m.
Josemi Carmona & Javier Colina's "De Cerca" with Volcano Radar
Josemi Carmona and double bassist Javier Colina present works from their duet album "De Cerca." Influenced by Flamenco, jazz and Latin music, the duo showcase their stylistic richness through traditional and contemporary works. José Manuel Ruiz Motos joins on percussion. Quartet Volcano Radar featuring Elbio Barilari opens the program.
Performance Schedule:
7:00-7:20 p.m. - Volcano Radar with Elbio Barilari
7:20-8:30 p.m. - Josemi Carmona & Javier Colina
Learn more about Josemi Carmona & Javier Colina's "De Cerca" here.
Learn more about Volcano Radar here.
Friday, March 17 & Saturday, March 18 - 7:00 p.m.
Alba Heredia
Instituto Cervantes of Chicago presents Flamenco Dancer Alba Heredia. Beginning at the age of four, Heredia trained with the great Spanish Flamenco maestros in Granada and Sevilla and belongs to one of the most important family dynasties of the Flamenco world. In 2015 she won First Prize in the XXII Competition of Flamenco Dance El Desplante in La Unión (Murcia, Spain), the most prestigious award in the world of flamenco. Performing with Alba Heredia are Amparo Heredia, Flamenco Singer; Ángel Ruíz, Flamenco Guitar; and Manolo de Córdoba, Hand-clappers.
Learn more about Alba Heredia here.
Friday, March 24 - 7:00 p.m.
Isaac de los Reyes & Amparo Heredia with Chiara Mangiameli
Chicago-based Flamenco dancer (and native Italian) Chiara Mangiameli opens the program. Mangiameli has established herself as a leader in Chicago's Flamenco dance scene and has collaborated with some of the city's most critically acclaimed groups including Las Guitarras De España, Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theater and Chicago Sinfonietta.
The second half of the program features Flamenco Dancer Isaac de los Reyes and Flamenco Singer Amparo Heredia. Reyes made his professional debut at the age of 13 as a soloist in the Spanish Dance Theater of Luisillo and, at the age of 14, his television debut dancing with the Spanish Dance Theater of Ramon de los Reyes. He has also danced in the Spanish Ballet of Clara Ramona, at the Vienna Opera with Joven Arte Flamenco, at the International Festival of Dance and Music of Granada and at the Cultural Center of the Villa of Madrid. Performing with Isaac De Los Reyes and Amparo Heredia are Ángel Ruíz, Flamenco Guitar and Manolo de Córdoba, Hand-clappers.
Performance Schedule:
7:00-7:15 p.m. - Chiara Mangiameli
7:15-8:30 p.m. - Isaac de los Reyes
Learn more about Isaac de los Reyes here
Learn more about Amparo Heredia here.
Learn more about Chiara Mangiameli here.
Saturday, March 25 - 7:00 p.m.
Closing Night Concert & Reception
Isaac de los Reyes & Amparo Heredia
Instituto Cervantes of Chicago presents an encore performance of Isaac de los Reyes & Amparo Heredia's Friday, March 24 program for its closing night performance featuring Ángel Ruíz on Flamenco Guitar and hand-clappers Manolo de Córdoba. A cocktail reception will follow immediately after the performance featuring Spanish food, wine and music.
Performance Schedule:
7:00-8:00 p.m. - Isaac de los Reyes and Amparo Heredia
8:00-10:00 p.m. - Cocktail Reception
Tickets to Opening Night on February 24 and Closing Night on March 25 are $35 for general admission; $30 for students and Instituto Cervantes members. Tickets for the remaining performances February 25 - March 25 are $25 for general admission; $20 for students and Instituto Cervantes members. Parking validation is available for all performances. Tickets for all shows are available at www.brownpapertickets.com.
Tickets to the preview performance at City Winery Chicago are $25 for general admission; $20 for students and Instituto Cervantes members and are available by phone at 312-733-9463 and online at www.citywinery.com.
Tickets to the film J: BEYOND FLAMENCO (JOTA) at Gene Siskel Film Center are $11 General admission; $7 for students and Instituto Cervantes; and $6 for Gene Siskel Film Center members and are available online at www.siskelfilmcenter.org.
The 15th Chicago Flamenco Festival is supported by generous grants from and The National Endowment for the Arts, City Arts & Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events and the Illinois Arts Council Agency. Major Sponsors include Best Western River North Hotel, Bodegas Faustino, Latinicity and Tourism Office of Spain. Additional Support provided by Dot press and Hoy newspaper. Collaborating organizations include Old Town School of Folk Music, Flamenco Arts Center, City Winery, Gene Siskel Film Center, Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theatre, Las Guitarras de España, Volcano Radar, Studio Mangiameli, Wendy Clinard Company and Kantuz
Instituto Cervantes is an international institution founded by Spain to promote the language and culture of Spain and Hispanic-speaking countries. It is currently present in almost over 70 cities from 40 countries spread out in the five continents. The Chicago location opened in 1996.
In addition to regular language courses, Instituto Cervantes of Chicago holds monthly cultural events, such as its film and book clubs, plus an open-to-the-public Library with a specialty collection of more than 30,000 Spanish and Latin American books, magazines, videos, DVDs, music, and computer programs. The Institute also regularly collaborates with museums, galleries, theaters, publishers, and other cultural institutions from across Illinois, as well as institutions from Spain and Latin America.
More information about the Instituto Cervantes of Chicago may be found at chicago.cervantes.es.
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