DIARIO DE JEREZ

Interview with Ismael de la Rosa “El Bola”

According to Spanish newspaper, Diario de Jerez, Ismael de la Rosa “El Bola” is one of the hottest voices in flamenco today. Born in Sevilla in 1995, he grew up singing por soleá and fandangos with his family los Fernández, a famous Gitano flamenco family. Bola’s great uncle is  Curro Fernández; his aunt is Esperanza Fernández, and his father is Ismael Fernández— who has performed with Madonna, Ricky Martin, Farruquito, and Flamenco Vivo’s very own Peña Flamenca NYC.

Bola recently returned to Spain after his performance at the New York Flamenco Festival with Eduardo Guerrero, María Moreno, María Terremoto, and Mercedes Ruiz, among others. The young singer is experiencing a very special moment in his career. “I am very excited about everything that is happening to me. The Flamenco Gala was fantastic, the people were extremely grateful, and they value flamenco very much. You could tell that we all love each other, and there was spectacular chemistry.”

On flamenco’s evolution, the Sevillano says that he is open to all kinds of music, because he is a music lover. When it comes to composing or singing, he may explore more current sounds but always with purity. In that aspect he’s very orthodox and carries pure flamenco as his flag. For Bola, flamenco is about transmitting emotions. “Cuando me subo a un escenario, me abro por completo. Dejo mi piel desnuda a través de la voz.” / “When I step on stage, I open myself completely. Through voice, I bare my skin.”