SUBMITTED BY CARAVAN WORLD RHYTHMS
On Sunday, Sept. 15 at ArtSpring’s theatre, Caravan World Rhythms presents an intimate evening of fiery and refined flamenco music and dance, deeply infused with Indian flavours, featuring award-winning international artists.
Those include flautist and bansuri player Lara Wong and flamenco guitarist Melón Jiménez, joined by acclaimed dancer from Bordeaux, France — Deborah “La Caramelita” Dawson — and Italian percussionist Davide Sampaolo.
According to CBC Radio, “The result is stunning; it is fluid, it is sensual and fully embodies the spirit of flamenco: virtuosity and passion.”
Wong and Jiménez redefine flamenco by blending the fiery art form with jazz, Indian music and contemporary global folk. In their new show, called Confluencias, they team up with percussionist Sampaolo and La Caramelita to present dazzling flamenco guitar riffs, mystical bansuri melodies, percussive footwork and entrancing global rhythms in a truly singular musical voyage.
Melón and Wong first met on stage in 2018 in the flamenco jazz capital of Madrid. They have since performed together across Europe, Asia and North America at a variety of venues and prestigious festivals.
Originally from Vancouver but based in Spain for nearly a decade, Wong is a distinctive and now well-recognized musical voice who studied flamenco in Andalusia after completing her degree in classical and jazz performance at McGill University. She is best known for playing flamenco music on the Indian bansuri flute. In 2021, she won a “Filon” award for best flamenco instrumentalist of the Festival Cante de las Minas, making her the first foreigner to win in any category of the festival’s 60-year history.
Jiménez first extensively explored the intersections of flamenco and classical Indian music as a member of Anoushka Shankar’s Traveller Band in 2013. Born into a musically and culturally diverse family, he was encouraged to learn the music of his Andalusian gitano (Spanish Roma) roots and to use the flamenco guitar as a doorway to innovation.
La Caramelita has enchanted international audiences for over 15 years with her unique dance style, with moves inspired by the passion, power and sensuality of flamenco and her Indian heritage. The versatility of this young dancer has led her to collaborate with renowned artists in many events around the world. She began her flamenco journey in Vancouver, but her passion led her to Andalusia, Spain, where she studied with some of the top flamenco dance teachers, such as Juana Amaya and Manuel Liñán.
The Sept. 15 show begins at 7:30 p.m., with tickets available through ArtSpring.
