Jacome Flamenco to Bring FlaMEXico to Mesa Arts Center, 5/13-14

Jácome Flamenco's newest production, ¡FlaMÉXico!, blends together distinctive artistic elements of two traditional art forms - Spain's Flamenco and Mexico's Mariachi - in a live performance of music and dance. ¡FlaMÉXico! will be performed at Mesa Arts Center for two nights only, May 13 and 14, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online at www.JacomeFlamenco.com, at the Mesa Arts Center box office, or can be purchased by calling 480-644-6500. A special 7pm pre-show talk with Artistic Director Chris Jácome will be given at the Saturday night performance, only.

Created and musically directed by composer and national touring artist Chris Jácome, the show will bring together nine performing artists to combine the mournful cries of flamenco's cante jondo with the joyful melodies of Mariachi. The artistic fusion of Spanish ancestry and Mexican folklore will create a one-of-a-kind tapestry of music and dance, pairing fiery Flamenco footwork with strumming guitars of Mariachi for an entirely new concert experience.

Jácome Flamenco's Artistic Director, Chris Jácome (a 3rd generation Arizonan), is an in-demand composer and guitarist and has been touring nationally and internationally for over a decade performing his original Flamenco music as a solo artist and with Jácome Flamenco. Chris' music can be heard on popular TV shows such as Touch, Kyle xy and Greek, the feature films Amreeka, 9/Tenths and the recently released Just the Vampire Hunter, which showcases Chris' compositional and guitar virtuosity in multiple genres. Chris has written and produced five critically-acclaimed CDs including his album entitled, Levanto. Chris' original songs from Levanto won the Grand Prize in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest World Category two years in a row.

This will be the first performance of ¡FlaMÉXico! in Arizona since the production was presented at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City in January, 2015. Chris said of the upcoming performances, "I'm thrilled to present this show for an Arizona audience because this show wouldn't exist without my Arizona heritage. Having one foot in my Mexican-American roots and one foot in Spain is what inspired me to create ¡FlaMÉXico!"

Jácome Flamenco will offer two class opportunities at Mesa Arts Center for those interested in learning about flamenco dance and music:
Beginning Flamenco Class (ages 13+) - April 30, noon-1 p.m.
Jácome Flamenco dancer, Lena Jácome will teach a beginning dance class. Ages 13+

Intro to Flamenco Rhythms (ages 10+) - May 7, noon-1 p.m.
Jácome Flamenco artistic director, Chris Jácome, will teach an intro class where participants will learn basic flamenco rhythms and hear how they are interpreted with song, guitar and dance.

Both classes are only $10/each when paid in advance at www.JacomeFlamenco.com or $15 to drop in on the day of the class. Mesa Arts Center is located at One East Main Street in downtown Mesa.

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