Paco Peña

PACO PEÑA FLAMENCO DANCE COMPANY
PERFORMS AT MARIN CENTER FEBRUARY 21
IN EXCLUSIVE BAY AREA ENGAGEMENT

SAN RAFAEL -- The world’s leading exponent of flamenco puro presents an exhilarating evening of dance, guitar and song in an exclusive Bay Area performance Friday, February 21, 8pm at the Marin Center, San Rafael. Direct from Spain, “Flamenco in Concert” includes Paco Peña’s impassioned guitar playing in its pure solo form in addition to stars of his famous company – singers, dancers and guitarists – for an evening of the fiery music of Andalucia. With a career that has taken him from the flamenco clubs in his native Cordoba, Spain to New York’s Carnegie Hall, Peña remains world-famous for his gifted guitar playing and dramatic style.

The performance will be at the Marin Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium, Avenue of the Flags at Civic Center Drive in San Rafael. Tickets are $30 and $24 ($18 students 18 and under) and can be ordered through the Marin Center Box Office at 415-499-6800, Ticketmaster.com or Ticketmaster outlets throughout the Bay Area.

The music of the Andalucians reflects its fusion of many different races, cultures and civilizations. Some of the roots of flamenco are found in the rhythms and chants of the Moors, who ruled the south of Spain for many centuries, in Jewish liturgical music and in the music brought by the gypsies. According to Peña, “it can be said without doubt, there are two main elements in flamenco – Andalucian with his old musical background and the gypsies.”

“Flamenco music is a complete way of life and the expression of a deep feeling which has to do with happiness, love, sadness, death, hardship and the struggle for life,” maintains Peña. “The music originated among the people of Andalucia as an outlet for these emotions.”

He took this ‘music with a message’ to the world in 1970, when he founded his famous Flamenco Company of dancers, guitarists and singers. It has since appeared at major festivals and venues including Edinburgh, Adelaide, Amsterdam, Athens, Israel, Istanbul, Singapore and Hong Kong and has been acclaimed for its London seasons at the Royal Festival Hall, Sadler’s Wells Theatre and The Barbicann.

As a flamenco guitar performer, Peña has performed at the Royal Albert Hall and his shared recitals with guitarist John Williams have been a great success in Britain and throughout Europe, as has his collaboration with the famed Chilean group, Inti Illimani. He has toured worldwide and has also undertaken several tours with Joe Pass, Pepe Romers, Leo Kottke, Eduardo Falú and Eliot Fisk.

In 1983, Paco Peña was awarded Spain’s celebrated Ramon Montoya prize, as well as the German Records Critics Prize. In 1985, he was appointed Professor of Flamenco at the Rotterdam Conservatory (the first such post to be created), confirming his status as one of the greatest flamenco artists performing today. In 1990, for the fifth year in a row, Paco Peña was named winner of the coveted Guitar Player magazine’s annual Reader’s Poll Award in the “Flamenco” category.

Marin Veterans' Memorial Auditorium
$30, $24 (Students 18 and under - $18)
To purchase tickets call the Marin Center Box Office 415.499.6800

Visit Marin's event calendar: http://www.co.marin.ca.us/depts/PK/Main/mc/events.cfm

Text and images courtesy of County of Marin Parks, Open Space and Culture.

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Paco Peña
Flamenco in Concert

"Flamenco in Concert" presents Paco Peña's impassioned guitar playing in its pure solo form, and also brings stars of his famous company - singers, dancers and guitarists - to present an evening of the fiery music of Andalucia. With a career that has taken him from flamenco clubs to Carnegie Hall, flamenco guitarist Paco Peña has emerged as the world's leading exponent of flamenco puro. Not wanting to limit his musical expression to guitar alone, Paco Peña founded his own flamenco company and presents an exhilarating evening of dance, guitar and song, direct from Spain!

February 21

Marin Veterans' Memorial Auditorium
$30, $24 (Students 18 and under - $18)
To purchase tickets call the Marin Center Box Office 415.499.6800

Visit the County of Marin Events calendar:

http://www.co.marin.ca.us/depts/PK/main/mc/events.cfm