East Valley Tribune
‘Tres Guitarras’
World class guitarists play free concert
'Tres Guitarras'
Posted: Saturday, August 15, 2015 8:00 am
Arizona based company, Jácome Flamenco, is thrilled to present, Tres Guitarras. This all guitar concert features Jácome Flamenco’s artistic director, flamenco guitarist Chris Jácome alongside blues guitarist Bob Fahey of South Dakota, and jazz guitarist Stan Sorenson of Tempe.
Tres Guitarras debuts at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 21 at Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Ave. This concert is part of a free summer concert series for the community and is a perfect evening for the entire family to share.
“Tres Guitarras is an extraordinary guitar experience. We’ll take a journey into our artistic journeys as guitarists and musicians,” Jácome said. “You’ll hear some phenomenal music and witness some guitar acrobatics. But really, this concert is about a great night for the family to enjoy together. With just 6 strings, the guitar can become its own orchestra. You get to hear soulful blues, hip jazz riffs and exciting flamenco strums, then hear it all fused together. This show is a celebration of the guitar and it’s going to be an unforgettable concert.”
Chris Jácome studied flamenco guitar with some of the greatest flamenco performers of this era while living in Sevilla, Spain. Inspired to share his passion for this incredible art form, Jácome created Jácome Flamenco in 2003, and has since become an internationally acclaimed touring company. The company has performed to many sold-out theatres and has performed throughout the US, as well as in Spain, Canada, Mexico and Indonesia, including recent engagements at Jazz at Lincoln Center and New York City Center in January, 2015.
Don’t miss your chance to hear this world class guitar trio.
FOX 10 News at The MIM
FOX 10 News
West Valley News, Phoenix
Birt’s Bistro offers night of Flamenco
Posted: Thursday, April 2, 2015 6:30 pmStaff report
Sylvia Hardt Photography
Flamenco
The Night of Flamenco will showcase both dancers and guitarists who have studied Flamenco under Chris Burton Jácome and Lena Jácome. [Submitted photo]
The Glendale Community College VERVE Dance Company and award-winning guitarists will perform “Night of Flamenco” 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at Birt’s Bistro, 16752 N. Greasewood St., Surprise.
Founded in 1989, VERVE Dance Company is the resident dance company of Glendale Community College.
Members of VERVE Dance Co. have the opportunity to work with local dance companies, train with internationally and nationally renowned guest teachers and choreographers, and mount their own choreographic works on the VERVE dancers.The evening will showcase both dancers and guitarists who have studied Flamenco under Chris Burton Jácome and Lena Jácome.
Chris is an award-winning songwriter and musician whose music has been featured on the Emmy Award-winning PBS special, “Flamenco.”
Lena tours the nation performing with Calo Flamenco and The Chris Burton Jácome Flamenco Ensemble.
Birt’s Bistro will be open from 5 to 8 p.m. for the event. The performance will begin at 5:30 p.m. A special event-themed menu will be served.
Started by the community and for the community in 1981, Benevilla is a not-for-profit human services agency dedicated to enhancing the lives of West Valley residents by providing care services for older adults, intellectually disabled adults, children, and families. For more information on services and volunteer opportunities, call 623-584-4999 or visit www.benevilla.org.
View Article: West Valley News
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The Advocate, Louisiana
Olé! Full flamenco troupe will dance, sing, play at the Manship
Feb. 05, 2015By Robin Miller
romiller@theadvocate.com
This will be the first Baton Rouge show for Jacome Flamenco's full company of dancers.
Jácome Flamenco has been infiltrating south Louisiana culture for the last three years.
Sounds like a spy thriller, doesn’t it? No worries.
The mission here isn’t to replace zydeco and Cajun music and dancing with the popular Spanish art form, but to enhance it.
This is why the full company of Jácome Flamenco’s dancers and musicians will finally stage a public Baton Rouge performance at 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Manship Theatre. A school performance will follow at 10 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 12.
“The company’s founder Chris Jácome and his wife Lena have been giving classes and workshops here for the last two-and-a-half years,” says Renee Chatelain, the theater’s executive director. “They are well familiar with Baton Rouge, but this is the first time the full company will perform.”
Flamenco is a mix of Spanish folk music and dance originating from Spain’s southern region of Andalusia. Performances include guitars, dancing, singing and hand claps.
But Jácome Flamenco will be doing more than introducing Baton Rouge audiences to a form of dance — it will be demonstrating Spanish culture through its innovative collaboration of dynamic music and intricate footwork.
Jácome Flamenco is made up of three dancers and five musicians. Founder Chris Jácome, a virtuoso guitarist and composer, performs with the group of musicians, which also includes vocalists.
“The unbridled energy, inspiration and excitement of Jácome Flamenco’s singers, dancers and musicians take audiences on a whirlwind journey of Andalusía,” the company’s biographical statement says. “You feel the rhythm, hear the song, smell the wine and see the beauty of a distant culture encouraging you to join in. The art of flamenco explodes onstage and audience shouts of ‘Olé!’ become part of the experience, part of the passion of flamenco.”
There is yet another component to this performance that makes it a little more special. For the first time, the Manship Theatre has dedicated a season to raise money for a cause, this being its 2014-15 dance season.
“If you’ve ever attended a show on Broadway, you know how they talk about Broadway Cares at the end of each performance and how the organization raises money for HIV/AIDS research,” Chatelain said while announcing the theater’s season lineup last August. “They pass buckets around the audience, and we’ll be doing the same thing here for Dance Speaks at the end of our dance performances. This is a way we can use the arts to improve our community and for a social cause.”
Dance Speaks is an organization that raises money to transport children with HIV and AIDS to Camp Hope, run by the HIV/AIDS Foundation in Houston, where children with these diseases can attend summer camp.
“They have the staff to attend to these children and their special needs,” Chatelain says. “We want to send 15 children.”
So far, some $8,000 has been raised at performances by LA Ballroom Studio, Pascal Rioult, Of Moving Colors and the Cangelosi Dance Project.
“We’re halfway there, and we hope to raise the other half through the national company performances of Jácome Flamenco, then Sidra Bell on April 18, as well as our other performances.”
In the meantime, Jácome Flamenco will add its own flavor to Louisiana culture not only through its performances but in transporting students and instructors in LSU’s dance program to Seville, Spain, for a week of instruction on Monday.
“They’ll not only be learning flamenco but attending flamenco performances,” Chatelain. “It’s a great opportunity for them.”
Copyright © 2014, Capital City Press LLC • 7290 Bluebonnet Blvd., Baton Rouge, LA 70810 • All Rights Reserved
Read Article: The Advocate
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The News Review, Ridgecrest
Story First Published: 2013-10-01
Who would have guessed that the flamboyant Flamenco dance and music are derived from a folk tradition? It’s true — Flamenco is thought to have originated in the Andalucía region of southern Spain, from Gypsy. Moorish Arab, Jewish and indigenous traditions.The intense, emotional Flamenco experience came to Ridge-crest last Friday night, at the Indian Wells Valley Concert Association’s season opener when the Chris Burton Jacome Flamenco Ensemble performed .
The seven-person troupe simply walked on stage and began performing, with only the Burroughs High School’s Parker Performing Arts Center’s plain dark curtains for background. The musicians and singer wore simple dark clothes to keep all eyes focused on the dancers and their vibrantly colored, swirling costumes.
Chris Jacome, leader, and Kristofer Hill played acoustic guitars, specially made for Flamenco.
Percussionist Emerson Laffey played a drum traditional to Flamenco and Afro-Peruvian music, called a cajon, which is literally a wooden box with a hole in the back. The percussionist sits on top of it and strikes it with hands or drumsticks. Laffey used metal drummer’s brushes, for a buzzy sound. He also used two brass cymbals on a stand close by.
Every other number was instrumental, and included several original songs written by Jacome in the Flamenco style.
The singer, Olivia Rojas, sang entirely in Spanish, in a strong, rich voice. Dancers Lena Jacome, Melani Martinez and Julia Chacon each had a turn dancing several dances solo.
To illustrate the folk nature of the Flamenco, Jacome described how it is performed in small neighborhood bars by the local people.
Someone starts sounding out a rhythm by stamping their feet or drumming with their hands on whatever is handy. Others start clapping in time with the rhythm. Someone sings. Sometimes someone gets up to dance; sometimes not. If someone happens to have a guitar, they join in, too.
The primary rhythm is in the song — the song drives the dance. When someone dances, they stamp and tap out complex rhythms with their feet; musicians follow along or introduce changes that the dancer picks up and dances out. Thus Flamenco is a spontaneous collaboration between dancer and musicians in a jazz-like form. No two performances are ever exactly alike.
This tradition feels welcoming and all-inclusive. Everyone can participate, even if just by clapping, or yelling, “Ole!” when someone shows their skills
During the folk tradition section, each dancer demonstrated one of the three main styles of dance. In addition, each used a traditional prop — Lena used castanets, Martinez used a fan and Chacon used a brightly-patterned shawl with long fringe.
While all three dancers were wonderful to watch, the one that most impressed me was Martinez. In her solo performance, she danced the story of a woman who was terribly upset, with sudden, sharp movements and fierce expressions. Lots of foot stamping and gestures like bulls’ horns were woven into the dance.
I watched, riveted, as Martinez’ expression changed. Suddenly she danced great triumph, and women in the audience sighed with recognition. She ended with the Flamenco equivalent of a victory lap, arms flinging to the heavens. Martinez was electrifying in her raw fury and glorious joy.
Lena’s style was more languorous, with long, graceful arm and hand movements, like the wings of a beautiful bird. Chacon’s style seemed more classically trained; she danced with her back arched and head held imperiously high. Her footwork was dizzying in complexity.
I applauded until my hands were sore. The ensemble earned not one, but two standing ovations!
According to Carl Helmick, IWVCA’s business manager, single ticket sales were good. “Red Rock Books sold out, and Maturango Museum almost did,” he said. He estimated that around 450 tickets were sold.
For more information about the ensemble, see www.JacomeFla menco.com. For more information about the IWVCA, see www.iwvca.com.
Watch for the next concert, Oct. 15, when Julian Gargiulo, classical pianist, born and educated in Italy, will appear.
Fountain Hills Times
San Tan Orchestra launches fifth season with Latin music
Fountain Hills Times
November 9, 2014
Exuberant music that reflects a mixture of classical and flamenco traditions will be performed by the East Valley-based San Tan Orchestra on Friday, Nov. 21, at Desert Foothills United Methodist Church, 2156 E. Liberty Lane in Phoenix.
The orchestra’s first concert of the 2014-15 season, "Latin Flair," is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m., and will feature flamenco guitar, marimba and dance, with works by Georges Bizet, Henry Flurry and Chris Jácome. Tickets, $15 for adults, $12 for advance group sales (10 or more), and $5 for children and students, are available at www.stcpa.org or at the door. For more information call (480) 297-7552.
The concert will be conducted by Katherine Shields, an adjunct faculty member at Grand Canyon University and a member of the Arizona Opera Orchestra.
The orchestra will mark the opening of its fifth season with the premiere performance of "Impulso: Concerto for Marimba, Flamenco Guitar and Dancer," composed by Flurry and Jácome. The audience also will be treated to the pulsing rhythms of Bizet’s "Concerto in C."
The concept for the Flurry and Jácome composition, in four movements, is rooted in marimbist Maria Vomlehn Flurry’s interest in commissioning works that meld classical and world music. Choreographed by Lena Jácome, the piece uses the dancer as an integral musical soloist, while historically the role of the flamenco musician is to follow the dancer.
Henry Flurry is a Prescott-based composer, pianist, and music educator, and Maria Flurry, on marimba, is principal percussionist in the Flagstaff Symphony. Chris Jácome is one of the premiere flamenco guitarists currently residing in the United States, and Lena Jácome tours nationally as a flamenco dancer with Jácome Flamenco & Calo Flamenco. The Jácomes have been named "Best in Phoenix – Flamenco Duet" by Phoenix Magazine.