The SGAE Foundation has organized the Flamencos y otras aves (Flamencos and other birds) musical series that will take place December 17 to 20, 2014 starting at 21:00 (9:00 pm) at Sala Berlanga (Berlanga Hall) in Madrid. The series includes performances by Maria Vargas, Zsófia Pirok, Noa Drezner, Sonia Cortés and José María Gallardo del Rey.
Flamencos y otras aves was envisioned by producer, composer and singer, Paco Ortega. This project brings together the work of international authors as well as established artists in Spain, ranging from the purest flamenco to international and avant-garde expressions.
The series will open on Wednesday, December 17 with a master class about concert guitarists, titled The process of composition with F Home Studio guitar, conducted by José María Gallardo del Rey.
On Thursday, December 18th, Sonia Cortés will play a concert called Flamencos del foro. The next day, on December 19th the showcase focuses on Flamencos del mundo (flamencos from the world) featuring Israeli flamenco guitarist Noa Drezner, and Hungarian dancer Zsófia Pirok.
Flamencos y otras aves ends on December 20 with a performance by Maria Vargas titled Toda una vida en el flamenco (A Lifetime in flamenco) and will feature Paco Ortega, Mary Mix, Tijeritas and Ana Fargas.
“This series aims to present flamenco amassed by the great classical guitar master Jose Maria Gallardo del Rey; the freshness, heritage and hybridization of Sonia Cortés; the expressions which show that flamenco is much more than an art that comes from a geographic location (Israel’s Noa Drezner and Hungary’s Zsófia Pirok) and the depth, purity and wisdom of Maria Vargas, one of the great flamenco voices of all time, “Ortega said.
About the title of the series, Ortega explains that it is “because flamenco supports many, many views that allow us to enjoy the artists who keep the flame and purity and other artists that while not navigating deep flamenco, they feel wonderful in borderline musical expressions or taking ingredients from our most international art.”
Flamencos y otras aves also has the support of Alejandro Sanz, Manolo Sanlúcar, José Mercé, Antonio Canales, Carmen Linares and Miguel Angel Arenas (Capi).
About the artists
José María Gallardo (Guitar Maestro)
José María Gallardo del Rey made his debut in Seville at nine and has since been reaping the greatest success with audiences and critics worldwide. His unusual training in the world of guitar and his musical knowledge has made him the preferred soloist by orchestras worldwide.
His musical interpretation classes are required in the most prestigious conservatories and universities worldwide.
As a soloist, composer, chamber musician and musical director José María Gallardo del Rey has performed in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Tokyo Opera House, Konzerthaus in Vienna, Théâtre des Champs-Élysées and Opéra Comique in Paris, Ateneo de Bucarest, Auditorio Nacional in Madrid, Rome Auditorium etc.
Sonia Cortés (singer and dancer)
Born into a family of artists (her parents were a dancer and guitarist), Sonia Cortés began her career mixing singing with dancing. She studied dance at the Madrid Conservatory. She has traveled to many countries and has collaborated with a wide-range of artists in various styles including Festival Romaní, Compañía de Antonio Najarro, Escuela de la Orquesta sinfónica de Madrid, Nuevo Ballet español, Fundación de Farukh Ruzimatov, Compañía Antonio Márquez, Joaquín Cortés, and Paco Ortega among many others. She is a flamenco cante (song) teacher at the Conservatorio de Danza de Madrid (Madrid Dance Conservatory), and is currently working on her first album.
Noa Drezner (flamenco guitarist)
Born in Israel in 1983, Noa Drezner began studying guitar at age 12. She has trained in Indian music and sitar. Noa arrived to Spain in 2005, and since then has delved into flamenco and Andalusian musical culture. She has participated in the documentary Tocaoras by Alice Cifredo, a film about female guitarists in the world of flamenco. Noa has worked with Marcos Flores, among many other artists and the Israeli Andalusian Orchestra as solo flamenco guitarist. This year she released her first original guitar work: “Flamenca” at the “Susan Dalal” Theater in Tel Aviv.
Zsófia Pirok (dancer)
This 22-year old Hungarian dancer knows how to blend into the Andalusian art and culture seamlessly, as if she was born in Spain, showing that flamenco is increasingly universal. Zsófia Pirok is a clear example of someone who perseveres and succeeds, starting from dance to gain a foothold in flamenco. “I like almost every flamenco palo (style) if they are well made, but I lean towards the solea por bulerías. I also love the seguidillas but I still feel that I don’t have the maturity, strength and age to dance it as I would like. I like to dance the alegrias after a deep flamenco (jondo) style, because with a jondo feel I can express my feelings to the public, I feel so free and so light that it is a must for me, “says the Hungarian dancer.
Maria Vargas (vocalist)
Born in San Lucar de Barrameda in April 1947, Maria Vargas is the heiress of a series of great artists. At twelve she performed at the Teatro Villamarta de Jerez in a tribute to Manuel Torres and Javier Molina where she shared the stage with Juan Talega and Chocolate, among other great singers of the moment.
In 1962 Maria Vargas received the recognition de “catedrática del Cante gitano” (Professor of Gypsy Song). That was when Manuel Caracol heard her and hired to inaugurate the famed Los Canasteros nightclub in Madrid with Manuel and Juan Morao. She has received countless awards (Premio Nacional de Córdoba, Salero de Oro, Tío José de Paula, Taranto de oro, Tacita de Plata, trofeo Columbia, Cabal de plata, o la Medalla insignia de Sanlúcar de Barrameda, among many others) and has recorded 22 albums accompanied by some of the finest guitarists: Paco de Lucía, Manolo Sanlúcar, Melchor de Mairena, and Los Habichuela.
Sala Berlanga is located at Calle de Andres Mellado 53, 28015 Madrid. Phone:+34 914 55 08 78. Metro station: Moncloa.
Author: World Music Central News Room
World music news from the editors at World Music Central
