The
Bay Area Flamenco Partnership presents
Arte y Pureza with "Maestria"
Featuring Gypsy Flamenco legend, MIGUEL FUNI
Friday,
September 21, Santa Cruz
Saturday, September 22, Berkeley
Sunday, September 23, San Francisco
Direct
from Spain, Arte y Pureza in "Maestria"! An evening
of flamenco puro presented by the The Bay Area Flamenco Partnership
featuring the legendary singer/dancer Miguel Peña Vargas
"El Funi", a charismatic icon of Spanish Gypsy culture.
Hailed by critics as “fierce and triumphant,” Arte
y Pureza’s raw emotion brings audiences to their feet in
an incredible display of improvisation and mastery within the
oldest styles of Gypsy song and dance.
After
a sold-out 2006 USA tour, Arte y Pureza returns with seven members
led by Miguel Peña Vargas "El Funi”. With his
gallant, rooster-like stance, trademark white scarf, and impeccable
blue suit, "El Funi" reminds audiences of a gypsy version
of the late bolero singer Ibrahim Ferrer.
Arte
y Pureza is dedicated to the preservation of traditional, pure
flamenco from the gypsy neighborhoods of Andalucía, Spain.
It includes world-renowned singers, dancers and guitarists such
as Spain’s 2006 Guitarist of the Year, Antonio Moya, Cihtli
Ocampo (dancer in Tony Gatlif's film "Exil"s) , Javier
Heredia, Gabriel "Pies Plomo" (son of the legendary
José de la Tomasa), Fabiola Perez and Ethan Margolis.
Friday,
Sept. 21, Santa Cruz
Kuumbwa Jazz Center 8pm
320 Cedar St, Santa Cruz
Tickets: http://www.brownpapertickets.com
or at Streetlight Records
939 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz
(831)421-9200
Sunday,
Sept. 23, San Francisco
Cowell Theater 6:00 pm
Fort Mason Center, San Francisco
Box Office hours: Tues-Sat. 11am-5pm
(415)345-7575
or online at http://www.fortmason.org/boxoffice
Funi
is a unique species: a singer, a dancer, a true artist, a genuine
survivor of the kind of flamenco that thrived in the privacy of
the home and at family gatherings and festivities.
“I
started singing and dancing as a child at family parties and at
my grandparents’ house…”
Miguel
El Funi
Miguel Peña Vargas was born in Lebrija, Seville on February
5, 1939. He comes from a family of legendary singers known as
the Pinini Clan. Among them is his grandmother Fernanda la Pinini,
Bastian Bacán (father of Pedro and Inés Bacán),
El Lagaña, Maria Peña, Diego Peña Peña,
La Pepa de Utrera, Fernanda and Bernarda de Utrera, El Lebrijano
and Dorantes. To speak of the Pininis is to speak of pure gypsy
emotion, wisdom, and of a long lineage of gypsy artists in singing,
dance and guitar. At the very young age of four Miguel Funi began
singing and dancing at family parties. He was first discovered
in the Feria of Seville in 1954. He began working in festivals
and theaters with the great artists of the time such as Antonio
Mairena, Diego del Gastor, Juan Talega, Perrate and Manolo Caracol.
Miguel Funi is one of the most pure singers from Lebrija and he
is highly respected for remaining true to the great tradition
of gypsy singing. Funi dominates all the rhythms in flamenco,
but he is best known for his singing por soleá, siguiriyas,
bulerías, cantiñas and martinete. His mastery of
this art form can be seen in his incredible ability to improvise
and play with flamenco rhythms. He is a true artist on-stage,
every movement of his arms and body provides a stunning picture.
His guitarists have been the likes of Pedro Bacán, Diego
del Gastor, Juan del Gastor and Antonio Malena. He has been awarded
prizes such as the Bulería of Jerez, and the Caracól
de Oro in Lebrija. Currently Miguel Funi lives in his hometown
of Lebrija.
Antonio
Moya
Born in France, to Spanish parents in 1965, Antonio Moya is one
of Spain´s top flamenco guitar accompanists. He has dedicated
his life to the conservation of purity within flamenco music.
Moya is the only disciple of the legendary guitarist Pedro Bacán
and following Bacan´s passing he assumed the role of lead
guitarist for the famed singers of Lebrija and Utrera. Antonio
Moya currently resides in Utrera, Spain with his wife, the singer
Maria Peña. He has recorded over 20 albums and participated
for many years in all of Europe´s most prestigious flamenco
festivals including Seville´s Bienal de Flamenco and France´s
Mont de Marsan Festival. In 2006, Antonio Moya was awarded best
accompanist of the year for his work with Tomás Perrate
and their cd “Perraterías.”
Javier
Heredia Fernandez
Born in Seville in 1980, Javier Heredia inherited a knowledge
of cante and baile casero from his father and his grandfather.
He worked on the docks of Seville’s Guadalquivir River until
his talent as a singer-dancer was recognized by the patriarchs
of Seville’s flamenco community. He toured as a soloist
with Manuela Carrasco’s company in 2004 and has performed
repeatedly in the Bienal de Sevilla, the Mont de Marsan Festival
in France and other important Spanish flamenco festivals. This
is his second tour through the USA as a member of Arte y Pureza.
Javier has worked with Jose Mercé, Arcangel, Manuel Molina,
El Extremeño, and Juana la del Pipa amongst others.
Ethan
Margolis
Born in Santa Cruz, California in 1978, Ethan comes from an entire
family of musicians. He was attracted to flamenco due to its pure
essence and its ability to transmit raw, human emotion. Margolis
is one of the few young flamenco guitarists who view it as their
obligation to study, understand, and defend the roots of "cante
gitano andaluz" within flamenco (singer Antonio Mairena referred
to the pure singing of the Gypsies as cante gitano so as to separate
it from other types of flamenco ). Ethan´s accompaniment
on the guitar is characterized by an extraordinary awareness of
the details within gypsy singing. Living in Seville, Spain since
2000, Margolis has had the opportunity to work with his maestro
Antonio Moya all over Spain, playing for many of Spain´s
great Gypsy singers such as Miguel Funi, Inés Bacán,
Curro Fernández, El Lebrijano and Manuel de Paula. He recently
produced and played guitar on Miguel Funi’s cd “Aires
Gitanos.”
Cihtli
Ocampo, La Gallardi
Described as a “young, powerful dancer” by Dancemagazine,
Cihtli Ocampo was born in San Diego, CA and was awarded the William
J. Fulbright Scholarship for Flamenco and Spanish Dance in Spain
in 1999. In 2000 she moved to Seville to train exclusively with
the Farruco family. In 2004, Ms. Ocampo began performing with
them debuting in Farruquito’s production of “Alma
Vieja.” Cihtli has also performed as a soloist with Farruca
and Farruco chico in “Familia Farruco”. She was a
featured dancer in Tony Gatlif's film Exils, which won best director
at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. In October of 2004 Ms. Ocampo
shared billing in Paris with La Macanita and Diego del Morao in
“Exils” the performance. Ms. Ocampo has performed
extensively throughout Spain in such venues as the Arriaga Theater
in Bilbao, and Los Gallos in Seville.
Fabiola
Perez Rodriguez
Born in Arcos de la Frontera, Cádiz in 1982, Fabiola began
to sing and dance in parties at the age of six. At the age of
11 she began to sing in flamenco clubs and festivals throughout
Andalucía. Her dedication to the deep gypsy songs of soleá,
siguiriyas, and fandangos at such a young age drew quick attention
from the professional flamenco community. At the age of 19 she
won the prize of the Cantiñas of Cádiz. She moved
to Seville at the age of nineteen and began to work in Andalucía’s
most prestigious tablao, Los Gallos. Fabiola is one of Spain’s
most accomplished young singers working with Manuela Carrasco,
Carmen Ledesma, Curro Fernandez, El Extemeño, Los Moneo,
Chano Lobato, y Juana Amaya. She has traveled internationally
singing in such cities as Holland, Paris, Prague and Vienna.
Gabriel
Giorgio Gonzalez
Born in Seville in 1980, into a family rich in the tradition of
cante, Los Torres, he is the great grandson of Pepe Torres, grandson
of Pies Plomo, and son of José de la Tomasa. He continues
the long tradition of cante gitano in his family dedicating his
studies to the old songs of his family along with new inspiration
he has found amongst his peers in Seville. He began singing in
the tablaos and small theaters of Seville and has worked with
the likes Carmen Ledesma, Pies Plomo, el Potito and el Torombo.
He has traveled internationally through Japan, Costa Rica, and
England.
Visit
ArteyPureza.com
for more information on this national tour.
