Caminos Flamencos, under the direction of Emmy Award-winning dancer and choreographer Yaelisa and guitarist Jason McGuire "El Rubio," has announced details for a three-city tour with renowned guest artists from Spain, Andres Peña and Manuel Malena. Starting at the Irvine Barclay Theater in Irvine, California on January 21, followed by concerts at the New Vic Theater in Santa Barbara on January 22, and the Brava Theater in San Francisco on January 29, the tour celebrates the end of Yaelisa's decade-plus tenure at the helm of the New World Flamenco Festival in Irvine. Tickets for the San Francisco concert range between $25 and $65, and are available for purchase online at brava.org. For tickets and information about the first two concerts in the tour, visit caminosflamencos.com.
The tour,
FIN DE FIESTA, takes its name from the finale to a traditional flamenco program where the full ensemble assembles together in improvisation. "The fin de fiesta is typically more raw than the program that comes before it. There's a joyous mood, and I find these moments exciting and a lot of fun," said Yaelisa.
Hailing from Jerez de la Frontera, Peña made his
North American debut in 2007. He performed at
ODC Theater in a critically acclaimed presentation by Caminos Flamencos. "Spectacular guest artist Andres Peña wrapped fiendishly fierce footwork into triple pirouettes," (Rita Felciano,
San Francisco Bay Guardian). He began his career at an early age touring in the companies of
Manuel Morao, Eva La Yerbabuena, La Chunga and Carmen Cortés. As the director of his own company, Peña later founded the first flamenco festival in
Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Peña has earned numerous awards and honors including the distinction of best dancer at the XI Bienal de Flamenco in Seville. He continues to tour internationally, teaching and collaborating with some of the top artists in his field. Next month's tour marks Peña's much anticipated return to the U.S. since his debut here in 2007.
Malena was born in Jerez de la Frontera into a gypsy family with a distinguished musical pedigree. He has won many singing competitions in Spain and France, including first prizes at El
Festival de la Unión, Cante Grande de Alemería, Nacional de Córdoba, Congreso de Cante Flamenco, among many others. In addition to performing with Peña, Malena regularly performs with
Manuela Carrasco,
Concha Vargas, Faico, Matilde Corál and Tía Juana la del Pipa. Malena has also performed with Yaelisa and
Caminos Flamencos since 2001.
Joining Peña, Malena, Yaelisa and McGuire on stage are frequent guest artists of Caminos Flamencos: dancers
Fanny Ara,
Melissa Cruz and
Clara Rodriguez, as well as singer Jose Cortes and percussionist Marlon Aldana.
ABOUT CAMINOS FLAMENCOS
San Francisco-based
Caminos Flamencos was founded in 2001 by Emmy Award-winning dancer and choreographer Yaelisa. Its mission is to create and present 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. Their programs seek to preserve the legacy of Spain's rich artistic heritage, and share it with people of all backgrounds. To that end, the organization encompasses both a flourishing
Dance Company as well as a dance school offering a comprehensive program of flamenco dance and music training for students at all levels. Among its recent engagements are performances with the San Francisco Opera, the
Pacific Symphony at Segerstrom Concert Hall, and as featured guest artists of the
Adelaide Guitar
Festival in Adelaide, Australia.
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