World Music Institute to Conclude Season with Farruquito at NYU Skirball Center, 6/21-22

After an absence from the American stage of over ten years, 31-year old flamenco virtuoso Juan Manuel Fernandez Montoya, better known as "Farruquito," is finally returning to New York City for a special two-night run of his latest project, "Improvisao." World Music Institute is thrilled to present two performances in New York City: Saturday, June 21 at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday, June 22 at 7:00 p.m at NYU's Skirball Center.

As the grandson of El Farruco, another flamenco legend known as the originator of the now-famous Farruco family style, and son of renowned flamenco dancer La Farruca, Farruquito is no stranger to the stage. He began performing alongside his grandfather at age three, and since then has become internationally known for his displays of duende, a term for the overwhelmingly impassioned performance of flamenco artists. Celebrated as one of the world's best performers of the flamenco puro style, Farruquito is devoted to honoring the traditions of flamenco dance and music and using these timeless techniques to create new and exciting combinations.

Now, after months of preparation, Farruquito triumphantly returns to the American stage as the inheritor of the Farruco family's flamenco dynasty. After taking a brief European tour to Seville and London, "Improvisao" and Farruquito cross the pond for a New York comeback that is not to be missed.

While many touring flamenco productions have begun incorporating more elaborate scenic and narrative elements, Farruquito's newest program embraces the intimate, cantina-back room feeling of flamenco before the era of proscenium stage presentations, and encourages audiences to focus on the raw power of instruments, bodies, and voices. Baring the soul of his art to the audience, Farruquito has called "Improvisao" a "return to my roots...Singing, guitar and dance fused with total freedom to create a different show every day." Farruquito's "Improvisao" aspires to present a pure and authentic expression of his flamenco training and position flamenco once again as a heroic gesture of ultimate emotional and artistic exposure.

WORLD MUSIC INSTITUTE and FLAMENCO World Music Institute has long been heralded for its spectacular flamenco presentations that showcase the form's essence and authenticity. Flamenco has consistently been a treasured component of many WMI seasons, bringing the most venerated performers from around the world straight to New York audiences. The flamenco tradition is rooted in Romani Gypsy culture from Southern Spain, but flamenco rhythms and melodies have also been heavily influenced by the migration of Muslim and Jewish groups throughout the Iberian peninsula. As a result, the flamenco performances seen and heard today are very much international experiences and celebrations of the historic cultural exchanges that led to the development of this distinguished art form.

IMPROVISAO
directed by Juan Manuel Fernandez Montoya (Farruquito)

Bailaor (Dancer)
Farruquito

Cantaores (Singers)
Antonio Villar, Fabiola Pérez, Mari Vizarraga, Pepe de Pura

Toque (Guitar)
Román Vicenti, Juan Requena

Percussion
Ane Carrasco

FARRUQUITO (www.farruquito.eu) - Juan Manuel Fernández Montoya, or 'Farruquito', is a venerated figure in the world of Flamenco. The son of Flamenco singer Juan Fernández Flores ('El Moreno') and dancer Rosario Montoya Manzano ('La Farruca'), he is the inheritor of the unique dancing style founded by his grandfather 'El Farruco'. Farruquito made his international début on Broadway at the age of five. Since then, he has been completely devoted to the preservation and innovation of his beloved art form. At age eight he presented his first seasonal show in Madrid and at twelve he appeared in Carlo Saura's film Flamenco. That same year, he joined his family in "Bodas de Gloria," participating in its artistic and choreographic conception. In 1992 he performed at the Opening Ceremony of the Barcelona Paralympics and with his grandfather at the Andalucía Pavilion of the Seville Universal Exposition in the show "Presente, Pasado y Futuro".

At the age of 15, he created his first show, "Raíces Flamecas," distinguishing himself as a dancer with both traditional knowledge and prodigious personal artistry. In 2001, Farruquito and his family performed at the Flamenco USA Festival, after which The New York Times praised him as "the best artist who set foot in the Big Apple in 2001." The following year, he led the cast of "Por Derecho" on their critically acclaimed North American tour, and in 2003, he was featured in People Magazine's annual "50 Most Beautiful People" issue. In 2004, Farruquito received the Premio Público Award for Best Flamenco Dancer, the Flamenco Hoy for Best Flamenco Dancer, the Telón Chivas Award for Best Dancer, and the prestigious APDE 2004 Prize for "the dignified repository of the inheritance of gypsy dancing."

His productions "ALMA VIEJA" (2003), "PURO" (2008), and "Baile Flamenco" (2011) have taken Farruquito to the UK, France, Italy, Holland, Israel, Mexico, and the United States. In 2012, he composed the music and lyrics for the production Siembra, featuring his younger brother, El Carpeta. His most recent show before "Improvisao," entitled "Abolengo," toured in 2013 and featured Farruquito dancing alongside the celebrated Mexican Flamenco dancer Karime Amaya. Farruquito is also highly involved at the Farruco family's dance academy, based in Seville.

Tickets for all World Music Institute events are available for purchase online at www.worldmusicinstitute.org, by calling (212) 545-7536, or in person at the WMI Box Office at 101 Lafayette Street, #801. Student and group discounts are available, as are VIP tickets for select events. Discounts are also available for WMI Friends with memberships starting at $70. WMI Friends enjoy priority seating throughout the season.

ABOUT WMI (www.worldmusicinstitute.org) - World Music Institute is a not-for-profit concert presenting organization founded in 1985 and dedicated to the presentation of the finest in traditional and contemporary music and dance from around the world.

WMI encourages cultural exchange between nations and ethnic groups and collaborates with community organizations and academic institutions in fostering greater understanding of the world's cultural traditions. WMI works extensively with community groups and organizations including Indian, Iranian, Chinese, Korean, Middle Eastern, Latin American, Hungarian, Irish, and Central Asian. This has enabled it to be at the forefront of planning and presenting the finest ensembles from these countries.

WMI presents a full season of concerts each year in New York City, and arranges national tours by visiting musicians from abroad, as well as US-based artists. WMI's accomplishments and expertise in its field are recognized by major institutions throughout the US and internationally.

WMI has brought many musical, dance and ritual traditions to the New York stage for the first time, including Laotian sung poetry, folk music of Khorason and Bushehr (Iran), songs of the Yemenite Jews, Bardic divas of Central Asia, trance ceremonies from Morocco, music from Madagascar, and Theyyams (masked dances) of Kerala, South India. Many artists have been given their U.S. or New York debuts by WMI.