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Community Corner

Special FLAMENCO NIGHTS @ GALERIA WEST CD Release Concert Event

A special Spanish Flamenco music & dance concert comes to the stage at the wonderfully intimate Galeria West art and music gallery venue in downtown Westfield, NJ in celebration of the recent release of the "Los Viejos No
Mueren" CD by acclaimed Spanish guitarist and composer Pedro Cortes. Come
be part of the audience for this unique touring performance by Mr. Cortes & his guest flamenco artists, including acclaimed dancer Auxi Fernandez from Cadiz, Spain at the popular bi-monthly Flamenco Nights @ Galeria West concert event on Friday, July 25, 2014 at 7:30pm. The cast for this special concert event at Galeria West, located at 111 Quimby Street in downtown Westfield, NJ also includes accomplished artists; vocalist & dancer Barbara Martinez, dancer and cajon artist Jose Moreno, bass player Sean Kupisz and guitarist Nolan Ericsson.

Pedro Cortes, comes from a family of Spanish Gypsy guitarists and began his studies with his father and the esteemed Flamenco guitarist Sabicas. Having toured professionally since the age of 17, he is gaining international recognition as a soloist and composer. He has premiered his work En la oscuridad
de las minas
at the Teatro Albeniz in Madrid, he had works premiered by the
Carlota Santana Spanish Dance Company at the Joyce Theater in New York. He has two books on flamenco, El Dron del Faraon and Cruzando el Charco, published by the American Institute of Guitar. Mr. Cortes, was commissioned by the Cohen Brothers to compose music for the film Paris Je T’Aime. He also wrote music for a childrens program on HBO called Fairytale for Every Child

Pedro toured with the renowned Jose Greco, Maria Benitez and La Conja and has performed with such artists as Farrucita, La Tati, Merche Esmeralda, Manolete and the late Lola Flores. He has also been a guest artist with the St. Louis Opera and the New York Grand Opera, and has been commissioned by and performed as musical director with the Guthrie Theater in Garcia Lorca’s BODAS DE SANGRE. Mr. Cortes is the artistic director of his own Flamenco group, and also musical director of Palo Seco. Cortes is a third generation Flamenco guitarist and uses the experience passed down to him by his family to maintain the purity of Flamenco while creating new compositions.

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Mr. Cortes states “When our craft is performed, those no longer with us are alive. While their bodies have joined the Earth, their minds, spirits and passions will never be forgotten. When you listen to Ramon Montoya, Sabicas, Mario
Escudero, Niño Ricardo, Miguel Borrul, Esteban de Sanlucar, Juan Maya, Melchor de Marchena and Perico del Lunar, they live again. When you listen to those who sing, La Niña de los Peines, Tomas Pavon, Chacon, Vallejo, Mairena, Valderrama, El Chocolate, Farina, Porrina de Vallajo, Manuel Torres and La Perla  live again. When you listen to the new music on this recording, these
musicians return: from our lineage as Flamencos and the oral tradition of the
Gypsies, the craft built by our uncles, fathers, and grandfathers will live for
generations to come. A special thanks goes to the great Paco de Lucia and
Camaron de la Isla for creating a New School of Flamenco that influenced this
recording and performance”.

This popular and culturally rich evening of passionate flamenco puro reveals the pure emotional essence of this popular Iberian music and dance form. The musicians are joined on stage by the accomplished dancers and together they celebrate the expressive flamenco as it takes on a new character and exposes the audience to the warmth of the human spirit as expressed through music and dance by these talented artists. The body movements and the facial expressions join with the artistry of the musicians and singers to create a spectacle that is a treat for both the eye and the soul. Come experience an evening of Spanish gypsy culture with the cast of this captivating music and dance celebration!                                                                           

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Enjoy the Galeria West fine art gallery exhibits by painters Eleanor Gilpatrick, Joy Ann Cabanos, Diana Cammack, Magno Laracuente and photograhers Neil Becker and Frank Cheh.                                                                       Tickets are priced at $30 for adults and $20 for children. For tickets & information online visit http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/781700 or for reservations and information call the TEATRO Si box office at 908-301-9496 or reserve tickets in person at Galeria West.  
We recommend planning on enjoying a fine meal before or after the show
at one of several fine restaurants in quaint downtown Westfield, NJ and the surrounding area. Event proceeds benefits programming efforts at TEATRO
Si, 501(c) 3 not for profit organization.

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