Flamenco Festival New York Kicks Off With TOMATITO Next Month

The opening night of the annual Flamenco Festival New York will kick off its celebration of the Spanish guitar with a living legend. WMI will welcome back Tomatito to New York City with his first show at The Town Hall since 2018.

Friday March 1
The Town Hall
123 W 43d St - Manhattan
7 PM - Doors | 8 PM - Show
Tiered pricing - $35 - $85
Seated

José Fernández Torres, aka Tomatito, is one of Spain's great modern masters of the flamenco guitar. A brilliant innovator and improviser, Tomatito first made his name as a teenage prodigy in 1973, famously discovered by Paco de Lucía and invited to accompany legendary singer Camarón de la Isla at the age of 15. The precocious Roma teen from Almería would go on to have one of the most storied careers in flamenco music, recording four groundbreaking albums in the 1980s alongside de Lucía and El Camarón, and accompanying such flamenco luminaries as Enrique Morente, José Mercé, and Carmen Linares. As a solo artist, Tomatito has released over a dozen albums since his 1987 debut - winning multiple GRAMMY and Latin GRAMMY Awards. The New York Timeshails Tomatito as "the most eminent guitarist in flamenco".

World Music Institute co-presents Tomatito as part of Flamenco Festival New York,the annual celebration of the unique fusion of tradition and the avant-garde that animates contemporary Spanish flamenco. This 23rd edition of the festival commemorates both the 10th anniversary of the passing of legendary guitarist Paco de Lucía, as well as the 400th anniversary of the death of Spanish musician and poet Vicente Espinel, often credited as the father of the Spanish guitar. This year's festival is the largest and most ambitious edition so far; with a total of 17 companies that will present 24 shows in 12 different venues across New York City.

This year WMI will also present singer Israel Fernández accompanied by guitarist Diego del Morao at Kaufman Music Center, and critically acclaimed singers María José Llergo and Sandra Carrasco with guitarist David de Arahal at (le) poisson rouge. See the full schedule, with venue, artist, and ticketing info below or at the WMI website. Tickets and information for all of this year's Flamenco Festival New York events are available on the festival's website.