Forever Flamenco Presents QUIEN YO SOY in LA Tonight, 5/27

The Fountain Theatre's acclaimed Forever Flamenco! series presents Arte y Pureza Flamenco Company in "Quien Yo Soy" ("This Is Me"), fusing flamenco and jazz at The Fountain Theatre tonight, May 27 at 8 pm. Forever Flamenco! is produced by Deborah Lawlor, 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.

"Quien Yo Soy" features the dance of Cihtli Ocampo in an exhilarating evening of Gypsy flamenco fused with elements of blues, jazz and Latin from vocal legend Maxayn Lewis (Diana Ross, Michael Jackson), jazz flutet/sax player Katisse Buckingham (Herbie Hancock, Prince), bassist Hussain Jiffry (Sergio Mendes, Herb Alpert), percussionist Joey Heredia (Dianne Reeves, Billy Childs), and flamenco vocalist Oscar Valero (Antonio Canales), all under the artistic direction of Arte y Pureza master guitarist Ethan Margolis. Delta blues, jazz and improvisational melodies will be phrased over flamenco rhythms, and Ocampo will debut her newest choreography to Stephen Sondheim's "Send in the Clowns," arranged for flamenco guitar and sung by Lewis..

Cihtli Ocampo is the lead dancer and choreographer of Arte Y Pureza Flamenco Company. A native of San Diego, she studied dance in New York under the tutelage of Alexander Filipov, Ann Reinking and Joan Peters at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center and Steps on Broadway. Awarded a Fullbright Scholarship in 1999, Ocampo moved to Spain where she worked with Spain's most prominent flamenco dance artists and quickly made a name for herself in the local tablao circuit. Her career took off when Farruquito asked her to perform in his acclaimed production, Alma Vieja. Since then she has participated in many important festivals and shared the stage with a myriad of flamenco's most respected artists, including Taraf de Haidouks, Montse Cortes, Manuel Molina, Ines Bacan, Miguel Funi, Concha Vargas and Tito Puente. Other credits include a feature appearance in Tony Gatlif's film Exils, soloist at Sibiu's Festival of Music and Dance, soloist in Familia Farruco and soloist in Exils the Performance in Paris alongside La Macanita and Diego del Morao.

Previously based in Seville, Spain and newly relocated to Los Angeles, Arte y Pureza Flamenco Company (Art and Purity) is a highly acclaimed flamenco ensemble that has toured extensively throughout the world. "Spain's Arte y Pureza Company performs masterfully and adds vocals to boot….exemplary musicianship," wrote Lewis Segal in the Los Angeles Times. Pittsburgh magazine raved, "As guided by master guitarist Ethan Margolis, Cihtli Ocampo may be the most dramatic figure on-stage this year...Even if you're saving your pennies... consider seeing this rarely united duo in action."

Now in its ninth smash season, Forever Flamenco! returns home to the intimate Fountain Theatre-the perfect place to view flamenco, with only 80 seats in four rows. The LA Weekly calls the Fountain "L.A.'s most significant venue for flamenco."

"Quien Yo Soy" takes place on Sunday, May 27 at 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.

Photo credit: Elazar Harel

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