Chicago Flamenco Festival 2011: Tribute to Enrique Morente

This year’s festival pays a special tribute to a legend that has left us, a singer who has made an extraordinary contribution to the world of flamenco: Enrique Morente. Morente brought an element of the divine to the art of flamenco and transformed it into a passionate experience for all five senses. Rest in peace, Maestro.

José Moreno EL CANO (Voice) & PERICO DE LA PAULA (Guitar)
Opening Night Reception
Friday, February 11, 7:00 p.m.
Instituto Cervantes Auditorium
31 W. Ohio St.
$25 general admission / $20 Instituto Cervantes students, members, seniors
Limited seating
Saturday, February 12, 7:00 p.m.
Instituto Cervantes Auditorium
31 W. Ohio St.
$25 general admission / $20 Instituto Cervantes students, members, seniors
Limited seating
El Cano (José Moreno) learned to sing a compás (to flamenco’s unique rhythms) from guitarist Juan Manuel Moreno. He performed with Moreno and guitarist Javier Conde in various flamenco festivals and competitions and was also a member of the flamenco fusion group, Sangre Nueva. In 2009, he performed in the renowned Jerez de la Frontera contest and recorded his first CD. In 2010, he was invited to participate in Duende Joven, a contest for emerging flamenco talent broadcast by Spain’s Canal Extremadura TV.
Perico de Paula (Juan Pedro López Godoy), son of cantaor Juan Corrales, is a flamenco guitarist (tocaor) who studied with Claudio Borrella and Joaquín Ponce and has performed in many flamenco festivals and competitions in the Extremadura region of Spain. He has accompanied singer José Mercé, the great-grandson of flamenco master Paco la Luz, and frequently plays alongside Pedro Peralta. In addition, he has an extraordinary knowledge of flamenco’s cante and has recently published a study of the various styles of the tangos and jaleos of Extremadura.

Chicago Flamenco Festival 2011 Omayra Amaya Flamenco Dance Company

Wednesday, February 16, 7:00 p.m.
Instituto Cervantes Auditorium
31 W. Ohio St.
$25 general admission / $20 Instituto Cervantes students, members, seniors
Limited seating
Thursday, February 17, 6:30 p.m.
Chicago Cultural Center
Preston Bradley Hall
78 E. Washington St.
Free & open to the public
The Omayra Amaya Flamenco Dance Company embraces the traditional roots of flamenco with passionate gestures, syncopated rhythms, and fiery footwork. Omayra adds a bold, sophisticated thread to flamenco’s beautiful tapestry. By blending the intricate rhythms of American jazz with traditional flamenco songs, she takes her art to a sublime new plane.
Guitar: Roberto Castellón
Percussion: José Moreno
Vocalist: Curro Cueto
Piano: Gonzalo Grau
Dancer: Omayra Amaya
For more information, visit www.omayramaya.com

Mehran Jalili Trio
Friday, February 18, 12:15 p.m.
Chicago Cultural Center
Randolph Café
78 E. Washington
Free & open to the public
Wednesday, February 23, 9:30 p.m.
Old Town School of Folk Music
Gary & Laura Maurer Concert Hall
4544 N. Lincoln Ave.
Free & open to the public ($5 donation suggested)
Reservations required; call (773) 728-6000

Flamenco guitarist Mehran will perform his latest CD, Angels of Persepolis, in addition to new compositions with his ensemble and accompanying dancers. His music can be described as flamenco under the influence of jazz and Persian melodies. Progression magazine calls it "an exotic symphony of progressive flamenco," and Vintage Guitar refers to it as "a masterful and compelling work."

Caibana Flamenco
Friday, February 18, 9:00 p.m.
Green Dolphin Club*
2200 N. Ashland Ave.
$15 advance (general admission)
$25 at the door (general admission, cash only)
$20 at the door for Instituto Cervantes & FAC members with ID/membership card
Limited seating
Please note: Doors open at 8:00 p.m. Must be 21 to enter 
To purchase advance tickets, visit www.brownpapertickets.com/event/145319
Created by flamenco guitarist/composer Roberto Castellón, Caibana is a flamenco-Latin fusion band based in New York City. Their name is a combination of Cai (Cádiz), the oldest city in Spain, and La Habana, Cuba (a city similar in many ways to Cádiz and founded by Spanish immigrants). Caibana's music fuses these two cultures, blending Afro-Cuban, Latin jazz and flamenco’s cante jondo into original sounds and enticing rhythms. They will release their first album in 2011.

Gipsy Kings
Saturday, February 19, 8:00 p.m.
Chicago Theatre
175 N. State St.
800-745-3000
Ticket prices range from $55-$95

The best-selling French band in history, the Gipsy Kings are among the best-known non-English speaking groups in the U.S. (the band’s language is the Gypsy dialect of gitane). Since the 1987 release of the international hit single, “Bamboleo,” the Gipsy Kings have sold more than 20 million albums worldwide—more than four million in the United States alone.

Buy tickets at JamUsa.com, TheChicagoTheatre.com, Ticketmaster locations, the Chicago Theatre box office, and by calling 1-800-745-3000.

For more information, visit www.TheChicagoTheatre.com.

Chicago Flamenco Festival 2011
Workshops & Classes
El Cano: Guitar Workshop
Friday, February 11, & Saturday, February 12
12:00 - 1:15 p.m.
Instituto Cervantes
31 W. Ohio St.
$45/day ($40 for IC & FAC members); cash only
Reservations required; call (312) 335-1996

Students must bring their own guitars.
CAIBANA’s Roberto Castellon & Curro Cueto:
Cante, Guitar, & Cuadro Workshop
Tuesday, February 15
7:00-8:15 p.m.
Instituto Cervantes
31 W. Ohio St.
$45/day ($40 for IC & FAC members); cash only
Guitarists, singers, and dancers are all welcome. Minimum of 8 students required.
Omayra Amaya: Dance Workshops (2 levels)
February 14, 15, 19, 20 Flamenco Arts Center (FAC) 3755 N. Western Ave.
$50 per class ($40 for FAC members)
$200 for all 4 classes at same level ($160 for FAC members)

Monday, February 14
Level 1, 7:00-8:15 p.m.
Level 2, 8:15-9:30 p.m.
Tuesday, February 15
Level 1, 7:00-8:15 p.m.
Level 2, 8:15-9:30 p.m.
Saturday, February 19
Level 1, 10:30-11:45 a.m.
Level 2, 12:00-1:15 p.m. 
Sunday, February 20
Level 1, 10:30-11:45 a.m.
Level 2, 12:00-1:15 p.m.

For more information and to register, visit www.FlamencoArtsCenter.com

La Lupi: Master Dance Class
Friday, March 4 & Saturday, March 5
12:00 -1:15 p.m.
Instituto Cervantes
31 W. Ohio St.
$45/person ($40 for IC & FAC members)
All levels welcome

For more information, visit
www.chicago.cervantes.es
www.arteyvidachicago.com
www.flamencoartscenter.com
Instituto Cervantes of Chicago, Inc.
31 W. Ohio | Chicago, IL 60654
Tel.: 1 312 335 1996 | [email protected]
http://chicago.cervantes.es