PEÑA FLAMENCA NYC
AFICIÓN with Antonio El Farru
Sun, April 3 • 12:00pm noon EST
Virtual (Zoom)
Enjoy a rare virtual conversation with one of the biggest names in flamenco: Antonio Fernández Montoya, El Farru. Tune in as El Farru shares his experiences growing up in the famous Farruco family and touring with the great Paco de Lucía! With narrator Leilah Broukhim.
*This conversation will be in Spanish with English translation.
*A full recording will be available for viewing through Apr 10.
#SOS TABLAOS
Iconic Casa Patas Building Sold
End of an Era
After 34 years of star-studded performances, the owner of Casa Patas–an iconic flamenco tablao in Madrid–says goodbye to a unique property that has greatly influenced the history of flamenco.
Carmen Linares, Estrella Morente, Tomatito, Remedios Amaya, Agujetas, Chocolate, Terremoto… the list of flamenco greats who have paraded through Casa Patas is endless, and the iconic venue also gave many artists their start- including singing sensation Rosalía, who had her first recital there in 2016. Although performances halted at the height of the pandemic two years ago, many in the flamenco community remained hopeful that the situation was temporary. However this week, owner Martín Guerrero announced that the building has been sold and will close its doors for good on March 31st.
Located in a well known flamenco neighborhood in Madrid, the building was entirely devoted to the art of flamenco. The Fundación Conservatorio Casa Patas, a center dedicated to teaching, researching, and promoting Flamenco was housed on the 1st and 2nd floors. There was a Café Cantante for special events, and a wonderful Sala García Lorca where exclusive flamenco recitals were held. Downstairs the tavern entrance was lined with photographs of flamenco greats who had contributed to its 34-year history (a must-see place for flamenco fans), and the iconic flamenco tablao in the back showcased nightly performances with flamenco’s most esteemed artists.
All in all, this historic building hosted over 500 performances a year! This is a great loss for the flamenco world, but we are grateful for the legacy of Casa Patas, which was honored by the Community of Madrid with the Enrique Maya Award (2009) for its contribution to the development and dissemination of flamenco art, as well as for its continued work in favor of the integration of the Gitano (Roma) people. Martín Guererro says “Many people at the end thanked me for having been able to witness it. And those who never came asked me if they can be nostalgic for what they haven’t experienced.”
STREAMING SOON
Flamenco on Film
April 23–24
Described as a “passport to the world of flamenco,” this virtual festival features eight short films over the course of two days, showcasing sixteen world-renowned flamenco dancers and musicians. The cast of artists includes the likes of Arcángel, María Moreno, Eduardo Guerrero, and more!
FROM OUR FRIENDS
FOR FLAMENCO FANS IN NYC
Soledad Barrio & Noche Flamenca
The Joyce Theater, NYC
April 5 –10
Our friends Soledad Barrio and Noche Flamenca return to The Joyce Theater in April, bringing the artform’s greatest performers together again to celebrate life as the dance world resumes its place before audiences!
FUN FACT
FROM OUR ARTIST DEVELOPMENT SERIES
What is a gañanía?
Hint: Estela Zatania taught a class on them recently!
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ANSWER:
In our recent Artist Development Series class, Estela Zatania explained that the term gañanía refers to a group of migrant farm workers as well as the farm’s storage structures where they lived in the south of Spain. In the gañanías, flamenco flourished as a main source of entertainment. With entire families from different areas of Andalucía living and working side-by-side, flamenco was shared from elders to children, as well as among families and towns, greatly enriching the artform.