by Laila Freeman/JAI
The powerful rhythmic strumming of Flamenco guitars, the stamping of boots, the clapping of hands, the pounding of piano keys.
Wait a second. Piano?
“I think people are going to be really shocked when they see a piano player opening the show,” said Mitchell Chang, producer of the Los Angeles International Flamenco Festival. The festival opens Thursday, March 7 at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center, followed on Saturday, March 9 at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles.
“There are tons of flamenco pianists now,” said Chang, who also produces the annual Hawaiian Slack Key Festival at the Redondo Performing Arts Center.
Spanish pianist Andres Barrios will open both flamenco concerts with dancer Mizuho Sato, from Japan.
“What attracts me to Flamenco is the level of musicianship and artistry, whether it’s dancing or the music part, which is singing, guitar — anything — piano,” Chang said
“There are lots of new elements coming into flamenco, so that keeps it fresh, too. If you want the really stripped-down, straightforward square version, there’s that. But if you start longing for something more progressive with saxophone or flute or piano, then there’s that, too.”
Flamenco’s tonality makes it stand out from other music, he said.
“If you know music theory, it’s the Phrygian mode,” he said. “A Miley Cyrus song is probably in a major key, right? It’s called Ionian, but Phrygian is a different tonality that’s kind of Middle Eastern. The singers sing in quarter tones, so if you go to a piano you press a white key, and then you press the black key next to it. In flamenco, there are notes in between that white key and black key.”
“It’s a much more aggressive attack than classical. It’s a whole different approach. It lends itself to more emotional expressions when you’re playing. And it’s not just you, it’s you and a team of people — the singer, the dancer, the percussionist — so that’s what makes it fun too. It runs the gamut of emotions, like happy, sad, angry. It’s a real raw kind of a thing.”
Spanish guitarist Tomatito, who headlines the Redondo show, will bring a band that includes singers and percussion.
“Tomatito is at the top of the food chain when it comes to flamenco guitar players,” Chang said. “He’s been able to synthesize a lot of different musical elements, but still keep it very, very flamenco. He’s got his sextet, including his son on guitar, who’s going to carry on that lineage.”
Joining Tomatito on the Redondo Beach stage, on March 7, will be the dancer Karime Amaya, whom Chang describes as “fiery.” She is the grand niece of the internationally renowned Spanish flamenco dancer Carmen Amaya, who was featured in Hollywood musicals in the 1940s.
Dancer José Maya, who has shared the stage with artists such as Beyoncé and Björk, is performing with Latin Grammy winning guitarist Rycardo Moreno in the Wilshire Ebell program, on March 9
His aim with the flamenco festival is to present performances that “honor the art form.”
“There’s so much stuff out there that purports to be flamenco,” he said. “I want people to see that flamenco can be presented in a very authentic way, which doesn’t sacrifice any of the entertainment value, so they walk away feeling a little bit more culturally enriched and educated.”
Laila Freeman is working on a master of fine arts in creative writing at Chapman University. This feature is produced by the Journalism Arts Initiative, which is underwritten by donations from arts organizations and others interested in supporting excellence in arts journalism.
Los Angeles International Flamenco Festival
Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center, 1935 Manhattan Beach Blvd., Redondo Beach, March 7 at 8 p.m. Guitarist Tomatito and sextet with dancer Karime Amaya, pianist Andres Barrios and dancer Mizuho Sato. $35 to $90, plus $3 service fee. Wilshire Ebell Theatre, 4401 West Eighth St., Los Angeles, March 8 at 8 p.m. Dancer José Maya, guitarist Rycardo Moreno, pianist Andres Barrios and dancer Mizuho Sato. $40 to $90, plus $3 service fee.
Information and tickets: laflamencofestival.com
