Flamenco Cante Master Workshop with Esperanza Fernandez in Vienna, Virginia
Flamenco singer Esperanza Fernández and Furia Flamenca director Estela Velez at Born 2 Dance studio in Vienna, Virginia. December 4, 2011 (photo by Stan Peters)
It's almost 8pm on Sunday as I type these words. And yeah I know this workshop took place a month ago, so it is kind of old news, but I so much wanted to document it here. And on top of that, these photos were already published in FaceBook and lots of people "liked" them and posted many positive comments. So why do I bother to publishing this blog entry?
Well, my DCFlamenco.com website (which hosts this blog) will be turning 16 years old this Tuesday January 10th. Without a doubt, it has been and continues to be THE online source to go to when you want find out what is going on in the DC Flamenco scene currently as well as what was going on many years back. Who knows? In 2022, when FaceBook eventually gets replaced by some other social network, DCFlamenco will very likely still be around (knock on wood) as it has been for the past 16 years to document the history of flamenco in DC.
I know you how you all adore my conversational writing style. 
However, today I have the pleasure of letting two guest contributors say a few words about flamenco singer Esperanza Fernández's cante workshop which took place way back on December 4th, 2011. Estela Velez organized the workshop and Behzad Habibzai provided accompaniment on guitar. I yield the floor to my esteemed colleagues:
Flamenco Night at Cafe Bonaparte is back…yet again :-)
Café Bonaparte in Georgetown, Washington DC. January 4, 2012
It's 2:30 in the morning on Thursday as I type these words. Last night (Wednesday) I was at Café Bonaparte for the return (yet again) of their popular Flamenco Night featuring guitarist Behzad Habibzai and singer Carlton Ashton. The show has been on and off over the years since as far back as 2004 and has gone through so many different combinations of artists that I've lost track:
- Behzad and Gerard in 2004
- Behzad, Gerard and Miguelito in 2004
- Behzad, Miguelito and Carlton in 2005
- Miguelito, Carlton and Richard in 2005
- Behzad and Carlton in 2008
- Ramin and José in 2009
The above list of combinations is by no means complete. OK…so what's different this time around is that, for the first time ever, there's no Gipsy Kings-style rumba repertoire in the set list—just flamenco palos like farruca, tientos, fandangos de Huelva, soleá por bulerías, guajiras, soleá, alegrías, bulerías etc. You get the idea.
Flamenco Night at Café Bonaparte (1522 Wisconsin Ave NW in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington DC) takes place on the first and third Wednesdays of the month. Behzad and Carlton do three sets starting at around 7:00pm and ending around 10:00pm. Seating is very limited so reservations are a must. Call 202-333-8830.
There almost always are local flamencos in the audience who usually get invited to join in the show which sometimes leads to a juerga afterwards. You never know. Internationally-known artists passing through DC have been known to drop by: dancer Antonio Vargas, singer Jesús Montoya and even percussionist Rubem Dantas!
I took about a 100 photos last night. Here's a random selection to give you an idea of what you missed. Enjoy!
New Flamenco Show at Plaza del Sol in Bethesda
Flamenco dancer Sarah Louisa with guitarist Miguelito at Plaza del Sol in Bethesda. December 23, 2011 (photo by Hélène Lozina)
It's 1pm on Wednesday as I type these words. For a change, I'm working on my blog in the upstairs WiFi lounge of the National Portrait Gallery. Unlike Starbucks, my usual "office," there's no coffee here, but at least it is pretty quiet with the added bonus of being surrounded by inspiring art!
So this past Friday was the second time flamenco dancer Sarah Louisa and I performed at the recently opened Plaza del Sol in Bethesda, Maryland. We're loving it so far. The food is pretty good, the staff is friendly and attentive and general manager Gerber González treats us performers like royalty.
Review: Edwin Aparicio’s “Flamenco Men” at GALA Theatre
Dancer Carlos Menchaca in soleá por bulerías. December 3, 2011 (photo by Daniel Martínez)
It's 11am-ish on Monday as I type these words, a little more than a week since I attended the Friday December 2nd world premiere of Edwin Aparicio's "Flamenco Men" at GALA Theatre in Washington DC.
Showcasing an all-male cast is nothing new of course, but it's something that's not done very often. So for someone like me who sees flamenco shows all the time, I'm always in the mood for something a little different.
Aside from the all-male cast, there was no gimmicky storyline or special costuming to tie the show together. Wasn't necessary. It was simply a program featuring soloists who could easily headline a concert on their own. I have to give credit to Edwin for taking that risk. Of course one would want to put together a cast of high-calibre artists for the sake of presenting a high-quality show. At the same time one runs the risk that the guest artists could possibly upstage the star of the show.
The "Flamenco Men" included:
- Edwin Aparicio, the well-known internationally-acclaimed dancer based here in Washington DC
- Sergio Aranda, from Málaga, Spain making his Washington DC debut
- Norberto Chamizo, born in Germany, based in Madrid, Spain. He has performed in DC many times as a guest of Edwin Aparicio
- Carlos Menchaca, from New Mexico where he studied at the Conservatory of Flamenco Arts
The musicians of course were equally outstanding, but I'll mention them at the end. Let's talk about the program...
World premiere of Edwin Aparicio’s “Flamenco Men” at GALA Theatre
Edwin Aparicio (photo by Paulo Andrés Montenegro)
It's me Miguelito, yet again keeping you up-to-date on what's going on in the DC flamenco scene. However, I failed you my readers. I meant to write an article about Edwin Aparicio's upcoming latest production "Flamenco Men" but just never got around to it—hey, please remember that I don't just write blogs, I'm a busy flamenco guitarist myself! Anywayz, at the very least, here's the press release with some photos to give you an idea of what to expect. "Flamenco Men" opens at GALA Theatre tomorrow Friday December 2, 2011 and continues through Sunday.
From the press release:
GALA's crowd-pleasing and acclaimed flamenco festival is here for its seventh year with Honorary Producers Lynne and Joseph Horning! Fuego Flamenco VII is an exploration of the diversity and depth of flamenco and its contemporary expressions. The festival is made possible with generous support from Lynne and Joseph Horning, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Embassy of Spain in Washington, DC, and Spain’s Ministry of Culture.
The third and final weekend of Fuego Flamenco VII presents the world premiere of "Flamenco Men," choreographed, directed, and performed by Edwin Aparicio with featured artists Sergio Aranda from Málaga, Spain, Norberto Chamizo from Granada, Spain and Carlos Menchaca from San Antonio, Texas. Performances are on Friday, December 2nd and Saturday, December 3rd at 8pm and Sunday, December 4th at 3pm.
"Flamenco Men" explores the masculine energy and style of flamenco and features the unique qualities and stylistic range of the four accomplished flamenco male artists who are featured. With their fiery footwork and muscular grace, Aparicio, Aranda, Chamizo and Menchaca promise to raise the roof at GALA Theatre.
Other artists performing in "Flamenco Men" are singer Amparo Heredia "La Repompilla" from Málaga, Spain; singer Javier Orozco "Yiyi" from Barcelona, Spain; guitarist Richard Marlow from Washington, DC; and cellist Gonzalo Grau from Caracas, Venezuela.
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Recent Posts
- Flamenco at University of Mary Washington’s Multicultural Fair
- VCU Flamenco Festival III: Miguelito and Friends. March 24, 2012
- Fab photos of Flamenco Night at Plaza del Sol
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