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Flamenco Certamen USA 

October 15 | 7 PM

Bruno Walter Auditorium

The only event of its kind, the Flamenco Certamen is an annual competition that supports rising flamenco artists in the United States. Join us live on Friday, October 15th at 7:00pm EST for the Flamenco Certamen FINALS— where 8 artists from across the nation will compete for cash and other prizes.

Can’t make it in person? Purchase a virtual viewing pass! Virtual Viewing Passes of the competition will be available on Friday, October 22nd.

TAKE A LISTEN

My Flamenco Ancestor w/ Yinka Esi Graves

BBC Radio

Last week BBC Radio aired a piece called “My Flamenco Ancestor,” created by flamenco dancer Yinka Esi Graves and Carys Syrac. It is a personal reflection on how the legacy of Afro-Cuban dancer Jacinto Padilla (el “Negro Meri”) has influenced Yinka’s flamenco journey, highlighting the importance of representation and honoring our ancestors.

LISTEN HERE (starts at 18:20)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000zt9f

WHO IS JACINTO PADILLA?

Jacinto Padilla, a.k.a. El Negro Meri, was a Black male flamenco dancer of Cuban descent. He is an important figure in flamenco history, because he is featured in the earliest footage we have of a flamenco group performing, which premiered in the Lumière films of Spanish song and dance at the world’s fair, in Paris (1900 Exposition Universelle). Jacinto Padilla was erased from flamenco’s history, because (despite video evidence to the contrary) scholars assumed that the dancer in the Lumière films was White. It wasn’t until recently that scholar Kiko Mora discovered the truth— that although there is little written history about the participation and influence of Afro-Latino artists on flamenco, they were definitely present throughout its formative years.

FROM OUR ARTIST DEVELOPMENT SERIES

Did you know?

Did you know that tonás are considered to be the oldest surviving musical form of flamenco? In our first Palos class with Juan Parilla, he explained that tonás are a palo, or category of flamenco songs, with ancient roots that are sung a cappella. Their origin can be found in the Castilian romances, which Andalusian Gitanos (Roma people) adapted as their own, and called “corríos.”

Tonás generally follow the same melodic line, and are differentiated by lyrics and style as defined by the artists most significant to the palo, including Tio Luis “el de la Juliana,” Alonso Pantoja, and Blas Barea to name a few. Palos such as saeta, martinete, and deblas are also sung a cappella and are derived directly from the tonás. It is also believed that tonás are the roots of seguiriyas and livianas.

It’s not too late to join the Palos class!