Los Angeles, Calif. – June 18, 2012 — The Fountain Theatre’s acclaimed Forever Flamenco! series returns home to the intimate, 78-seat Fountain TheatreSunday, July 15@ 8 pm.
The line-up includes guest dancer Christina Hall; dancers Arleen Hurtado and Oscar Valero; singer
Jose Cortes
José Cortes “El Muleto”; guest guitarist Benjamin Woods; percussionist Joey Heredia; and guitarist/artistic director Antonio Triana.
Created and produced by co-artistic director Deborah Lawlor, The Fountain Theatre’s Forever Flamenco! series is now in its 9th smash year. Each performance features a roster of world-class flamenco dancers, singers and musicians drawn from the rich pool of flamenco artists in Southern California, with additional guest artists brought from San Francisco, Albuquerque and Spain. Named “L.A.’s most significant venue for flamenco” by the LA Weekly, the Fountain, with only 78 seats in 4 rows, is the perfect setting in which to enjoy the art form up close,.
Arleen Hurtado
“Antonio Triana has put together an exquisite line-up for the 15th,” says Lawlor. “Singer José Cortes comes from a Gypsy family in Southern Spain—he’s an extraordinary singer, with a gorgeous rich tone, who excels in the soleares and the bulerías styles of flamenco. Cristina Hall is a lovely dancer, graceful and feminine, who has just returned to the U.S. from an extensive stay in Spain. Joey Heredia is a master jazz percussionist who discovered flamenco a few years ago, and is now dedicating much of his talent, time and joy to enriching the percussive element of flamenco.”
“Forever Flamenco!” takes place on Sunday, July 15@ 8 pm. All tickets are $40. The Fountain Theatre is located at 5060 Fountain Avenue (at Normandie) in Los Angeles. Secure, on-site parking is available for $5. The Fountain Theatre is air-conditioned and wheelchair accessible. For reservations and information, call 323 663-1525 or go to www.FountainTheatre.com.
Yaelisa and her exciting troupe of fabulous artists returns to Forever Flamenco on Sunday, June 10th at Barnsdall Park for an evening of flamenco collaboration and soniquete with a select group of world-class artists. Master musician Jason McGuire” El Rubio” playing his own original compositions and jamming with drummer/percussionist Joey Heredia, accompanied by the great singer Jose Cortes. Yaelisa brings two contrasting bailores together for the first time to dance alongside her – Manuel Gutierrez and Antonio Arrebola, recently moved to the Bay Area from Malaga, Spain. Three distinct styles, aires and dancers together for an unforgettable evening of “FLAMENKEANDO.”
Created and produced by Deborah Lawlor, Forever Flamenco is now in its 9th smash year. “Forever Flamenco is one of the most intense flamenco performances currently running in Los Angeles”, exclaims LA Splash magazine. “Being the sensual, intimate art form that it is … the way you feel when your walk out of a Forever Flamencoperformance is pretty darn fabulous.”
Emmy Award-winning dancer and choreographer Yaelisa is the founder and artistic director of Caminos Flamencos . Yaelisa creates and presents contemporary, traditional and theatrical dance programs showcasing artists from Spain and the U.S., which reflect the changing face of flamenco in the 21st century, while preserving the history and culture of this traditional art form. The Los Angeles Times has said of her “Yaelisa created a kind of footwork fugue, her quicksilver rhythms overlapping their plaintive croonings in something Bach would have admired.”
At the age of four, Yaelisa danced on the stage of the famous Casa Madrid, and her immersion in flamenco culture became a part of her life because of her mother, the renowned singer/dancer Isa Mura. She has performed with many of Spains finest artists, including Alejandro Granados, Antonio El Pipa, Manuel and Antonio Malena, Domingo Ortega, Enrique El Extremeno, Yeye de Cádiz, Mateo Soleá, El Junco, Juan Ogalla, Geronimo, Felipe Maya and others. Since 1986, Yaelisa has spent extensive periods of time living and performing in Spain, presenting her choreography there and in the U.S. She has choreographed and appeared in several feature films and music videos, and created many highly acclaimed productions both for her company and as Artistic Director of the New World Flamenco Festival at the Irvine Barclay Theater in Irvine, CA. Combining artists from Spain and the U.S., Caminos Flamencos remains on the cutting edge of flamenco, most especially with their recent productions of CANCIONES and CANCIONES 2 where they explored combining flamenco with the music of the Beatles, Stevie Wonder, Dave Brubeck and others…. dance critic Rachel Howard says “A Caminos Flamencos performance brings several guarantees: virtuosic music, striking lighting and a closing tour-de-force solo by artistic director Yaelisa to draw shouts of ‘olé!’”
Jason McGuire
Jason McGuire “El Rubio” has become synonymous with flamenco despite his Irish/American heritage. With over 30 years playing experience and concerts from coast to coast he has been for many years the guitarist other professional players come to help learn and hone their craft. As Musical Director of the award winning flamenco dance company Caminos Flamencos as well as Musical Director for “The New World Flamenco Festival,” Jason has shared the stage with some of the top flamenco artists in the world today as well as other legendary performers like Carlos Santana, Savion Glover and Wynton Marsalis to name a few. Along with his Emmy Award winning wife, flamenco dance extraordinaire Yaelisa, the two have forged the path for authentic as well as experimental flamenco through their groundbreaking productions. Jason’s album “Distancias” has received much critical acclaim and his compositions have been compared to some of Spain’s most important guitarists.
“When I first heard Jason play guitar, I was in awe of his talent and the fluidity of his style. He has an incredible knowledge of flamenco combined with an electic modern fusion jazz sensibility. His melodic and rhythmic sense spun my head around and I wanted to hear MORE! He is unique in a world of a million guitarists.” – Grammy Nominated Engineer/Producer, Cookie Marenco
“I love the passion Jason McGuire puts in his music and guitar playing. He has nice energy reflecting from his guitar with excellent technique and crispy sound. I enjoy his music and compositions a lot.” – Nuevo Flamenco Legend, Armik
“When he plays I feel as though I am back in Spain performing with my family and friends. His playing is so strong and powerful it is like three guitars playing at once.” – Gypsy Flamenco Singer, Jesus Montoya “El Genio Gitano”
After months of successful concerts at the 300-seat Gallery Theatre in Barnsdall Park, The Fountain Theatre’s acclaimed Forever Flamenco! series is back home for one night only at the intimate Fountain. On May 27, Forever Flamenco!presents Quien Yo Soy (“Who I Am”), a special evening of Gypsy flamenco from the Arte y Pureza flamenco company with dancer Cihtli Ocampo; percussionist Joey Heredia; flutist/sax player Katisse Buckingham; vocalists Maxayn Lewis and Oscar Valero; and guitarist/artistic director Ethan Margolis. Forever Flamenco is produced by DeborahLawlor, who created the esteemed Flamenco program at the Fountain more than 20 years ago and has established it as the foremost venue of Flamenco in Los Angeles.
Cihtli Ocampo
CIHTLI OCAMPO was born in San Diego, CA. She went to Spain on a William J. Fulbright Scholarship for Flamenco and Spanish Dance in 1999 and in 2000 she relocated to Seville to train exclusively with the Farruco family. In 2004, Ms. Ocampo began performing with them debuting in Farruquitos production of Alma Vieja. Cihtli has also performed as a soloist with Farruca and Farruco chico in Familia Farruco. She was a featured dancer in Tony Gatlif’s film Exils, which won best director at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. In October of 2004 Ms. Ocampo shared billing in Paris with La Macanita and Diego del Morao in Exils the performance. Ms. Ocampo has performed extensively throughout Spain in such venues as the Arriaga Theater in Bilbao, and Los Gallos in Seville. After seeing Cihtli perform, Carmen Amaya’s biographer, Mario Bois wrote: “…this girl is truly exceptional… she danced with a man’s suit and I was reminded of Carmen Amaya. She is strong and astounding, something you do not see every day.”
Ethan Margolis
ETHAN MARGOLIS was born in California and comes from an entire family of musicians. Since his arrival in Seville in the year 2000, Margolis has made a name for himself in an intimate world of legendary artists, as he studied and worked with his maestro, Antonio Moya, the famed guitarist from Utrera. Ethan has accompanied many of Spains maestro Gypsy singers including Miguel Funi, Ins Bacn, Curro Fernndez, El Lebrijano and Manuel de Paula. He recently produced and played guitar on Miguel Funi’s cd Aires Gitanos. Today, Margolis is one of the few young guitarists who view it as their obligation to study, understand and defend the roots of “cante gitano andaluz” within flamenco. Ethan’s accompaniment on the guitar is characterized by an extraordinary awareness of the details within Gypsy singing. His musical background has given him a sensitivity towards music that applies to his playing and his teaching.
With only 80 seats in four rows is the perfect place to view flamenco. Don’t miss this rare treat to experience world-class flamenco just a few feet away from your seat at the intimate Fountain!
Los Angeles, Calif. – June 18, 2012 — The Fountain Theatre’s acclaimed Forever Flamenco! series returns home to the intimate, 78-seat Fountain Theatre Sunday, July 15 @ 8 pm.
