SUBMITTED BY SALT SPRING ARTS
Salt Spring Arts’ Summer Outdoor Concert Series (SOCS) returns for its sixth season on Thursday, July 17, kicking off six weeks of free concerts in Centennial Park.
The season opener features internationally acclaimed flamenco duo Melón Jiménez and Lara Wong as the first headliner, with local favourite Two Pants Trio opening the series. The concert runs from 6 to 8 p.m. and welcomes audiences of all ages.
Rooted in flamenco and tinted with jazz, Melón Jiménez and Lara Wong’s music echoes flamenco’s nomadic roots — from India to Africa to Latin America. Together, they share a unique musical dialogue between the Indian bansuri and the flamenco guitar — mysterious, bold and passionate.
Wong is a Canadian flutist and bansuri player. After immersing herself in the tradition in Andalusia, she became the first woman and first foreigner to win the Filón Minero Award for Best Flamenco Instrumentalist at Spain’s Cante de las Minas festival. Jiménez, a flamenco guitarist from Madrid with Gitano (Andalusian Roma) roots, blends deep tradition with global influences. The son of a flamenco guitarist and a German classical pianist, he has toured with artists such as Anoushka Shankar, Enrique Morente and Richard Bona.
Since forming their duo in Madrid, Wong and Jiménez have performed across four continents on renowned stages around the world. Their debut album Confluencias (2024) was nominated for a Juno Award for Instrumental Album of the Year.
Opening the evening is Two Pants Trio, a Salt Spring–based group known for their unique 1920s and ‘30s ragtime jazz and country blues sound. When the resophonic guitar, washtub and trumpet get to syncopating, good times are sure to be had by all audiences.
The Summer Outdoor Concert Series has become a beloved Salt Spring tradition. Every Thursday evening through Aug. 21, islanders and visitors gather in Centennial Park to enjoy live music in a relaxed, family-friendly setting. Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets and enjoy picnics as they experience an array of local and touring artists.
This year’s SOCS headliner lineup includes Inn Echo, Hayley Wallis and the Bright Futures, Alpha Yaya Diallo, Ashleigh Ball and Empanadas Ilegales. For more information visit saltspringarts.com/socs.