The Flamenco Foundation of Houston, with the support of the Consulate General of Spain is pleased to announce the second installment of the original Houston Flamenco Festival, April 14th through April 22nd of 2012, with visiting artists Cihtli Ocampo and Ethan Margolis of Arte y Pureza and renowned singer Juan Bacan.
Decades long residents of Andalucia (Sevilla and Lebrija to be precise), guitarist Ethan and dancer Cihtli have trained and toured with some of the brightest names and clans of the flamenco world, including the Farruco family, Concha Vargas, “La Macanita”, Antonio Moya, Miguel “El Funi”, “La Tana”, “El Lebrijano”, Ines Bacan, the list goes on…Cihtli “La Gallardí” has also been featured in the film “Exils” by Tony Gatliff, and more recently (along with husband Ethan “Ezan Miguel”) on the documentary “Spanish Day” by Jeff Katz.
Born in Lebrija, Spain to perhaps the largest dynasty of Gypsy Flamenco singers that has ever existed, Juan Peña Peña (Juan Bacán) is the great-grandson of “El Pinini” and cousin of El Lebrijano and Pedro Peña. His father was Bastian Bacán and his sister Inés Bacán and brother Pedro. His family includes Dorantes, Fernanda and Bernarda de Utrera, Miguel Funi, Pepa de Utrera, and the Perrates. Juan’s singing is steeped in his family tradition. Rooted and slow moving, his ‘cante’ is of the purest nature still found in Spain. He excels at the ‘soleá’ and ‘siguiriyas’ as did his father Bastian, and prefers the concept of subtle nuances within the singing rhythms as opposed to the loud, screaming scales found in modern flamenco
For more information please visit the Festival website: www.houstonflamencofestival.com
