Spain's AMFlamenco Company Brings Origianl Work POESIA FLAMENCA on Tour to Five US Cities

Since the late 1980s, flamenco music has experienced a resurgence of popularity around the world, most notably in the United States. The multicultural melting pot of the U.S. has much in common with the combination of cultures that gave birth to the complex sounds and rhythms of flamenco over 200 years ago, and it seems only right that contemporary flamenco artists would feel welcome and at home in American theaters.

Adriana Maresma heard the song of flamenco 20 years ago when she was studying in Granada, Spain, and it struck a chord in her that continues to resonate; thus, was the start of her training in spanish dance. She later received her BA in Dance and Photography from the University of New Mexico, began to perform with local companies, later returned to Spain, and now resides in Jerez with her husband, flamenco guitarist and composer Juan Gómez. They have been teaching and performing together in Europe for about 14 years, and in 2010 held their first "Flamenco on the Beach" workshop series in Jerez, now an annual event.

But just as strong as the lure of flamenco is a desire to return home, and Adriana has been working for a few years on a plan to bring her special style of flamenco back to her native United States.

Luckily for U.S. flamenco aficionados, 2013 is the year it will happen. This fall Ariana brings AMFlamenco Company's original work Poesía Flamenca-Flamenco Poetry to the United States for a five-city tour. The performance piece is strongly rooted in the traditions of flamenco cante, and threaded through with her personal narratives of love, loss, and the unexpected twists and turns of life and fate.

"This is personal reflection on life´s journey, and the legacy we leave behind," says Adriana. "After experiencing my own personal loss of a loved one, and the birth of a special soul in my life, I began to see that our lives are like poetry: created through our experiences, poetry uses words to describe who we are, and tells the story of our influence on those we encounter on our journey."

Adriana has enlisted in the creative talents of three other flamenco artists to bring this idea to fruition: dancer Jose Moro, from Madrid, and guitarist Juan Gomez and singer Rocio Soto, both from Andalucia, the birthplace of flamenco. Together, the quartet will present an intimate experience of the rhythmic heartbeats and soulful melodies that define true flamenco music.

"Flamenco is a beautiful and powerful type of poetry, combining music, song, and movement.

Each component is a language in itself, and the combination is one of the most powerful expressions of heart and soul," says Maresma-Fois. "I am very excited to bring this original work back to my homeland, to share this art that means so much to me with family, friends, and flamenco lovers. I feel this art is one of the most direct ways to communicate, and when performed with respect to the tradition, it can reach and touch one's soul, leaving everlasting memories."

AMFlamenco lands in Lawrence, KS to start their tour on November 14, and will perform at the Lawrence Arts Center on November 16. They leave for New Mexico for their next performance at the Teatro Paraguas in Santa Fe on November 21, and continue on to three more theaters.

More information on the performers and the tour dates is available on the Facebook page, along with biographical information and links to photographs.

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