Paco de Lucía and Sara Baras also appear in the lineup, which reaches 12 cities

Flamenco-world.com, January 2007

The countdown has begun. Flamenco gets ready to land in the United States and London. On February 3rd, cantaora Estrella Morente inaugurates the seventh edition of Flamenco Festival USA at New York’s Town Hall, while on the 24th, bailaora Eva Yerbabuena raises the curtain at London’s Sadler’s Wells in the fourth edition of its festival. Beginning with the performances by the Granada-born artists, fifteen shows will tour a total of twelve cities; nine of them American, two Canadian and the capital of the United Kingdom. It was revealed as such at the official presentation of the program, which took place at the nightclub Calle 54 in Madrid with the presence of Estrella Morente, who remarked “premiering in New York at the festival is a great opportunity. I want to introduce myself there as a cantaora; that's why I'm taking the show Mujeres”.

Flamenco Festival USA 2007. Official presentation of the program
(Photo: © Paco Manzano)

In their 2007 edition, Flamenco Festival USA and Flamenco Festival London feed on fifteen shows. Estrella Morente combines the live shows ‘Mujeres’ and ‘Estrella 1922’ in New York and London. Paco de Lucía will put on an anthological concert at New York’s Carnegie Hall, before touring cities like Boston, Washington, Los Angeles and Miami, among others. Sara Baras will also tour several stages with ‘Sabores’, following her presentation at the City Center on February 27th and 28th. And Eva Yerbabuena takes her new show ‘El huso de la memoria’ to Sadler’s Wells in London.

Besides the four figures of baile, toque and cante shining at the top of the bill, there will be two collective galas serving as a showcase for the variety of today’s flamenco. One of them, as part of its promotional strategy, is the one offered by Seville’s Bienal de Flamenco. In this show, which premieres on February 15th at the City Center, Joaquín Grilo, Isabel Bayón, Fuensanta la Moneta, Manuel Liñán, Olga Pericet and Marcos Flores are to take part. The other, with the title Andalucía Flamenca, brings together Gerardo Núñez, El Pele and the show ‘Biznagas’ from Málaga en Flamenco.

There are also complete shows by young baile figures: Rafaela Carrasco offers ‘Una mirada del flamenco’, while Isabel Bayón puts on ‘La puerta abierta’, with Miguel Poveda as guest artist. On the veteran side, there is Carmen Cortés with ‘Mujeres de Lorca’. The festival also pays attention to instrumental flamenco with concerts such as ‘Iberia’ by pianist Rosa Torres-Pardo and dancer Lola Greco; guitarist José Luis Montón; pianist Dorantes; and cantaor Pitingo with his album ‘Pitingo con Habichuelas’.

Gerardo Núñez and Carmen Cortés. Flamenco Festival USA 2007.
Official presentation of the program (Photo: © Paco Manzano)

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