Puerto Flamenco at Teatru Manoel

After a year of travels throughout Europe and Australia, the Seville-based flamenco troupe Puerto Flamenco, "synonymous of flamenco mastery "  (THE SUNDAY TIMES 2011) are back to Malta with a stellar cast of Seville's finest young artists and a new production 'Siéntese'.

This year's one show stopover, a must- see event on the local cultural calendar, the "spectacular masterpiece " (THEATRE PEOPLE 2012) will take place on the stage of the Manoel Theatre on the 10^th of March 2012.

'Siéntese' (in Spanish language the polite form for 'sit down' or 'be seated') is a flamenco production in which the company directors Francesca Grima and Andrej Vujicic pay homage to the Sevillian tablao scene. A tablao is a Spanish style cabaret, a flamenco theatre restaurant and an indispensable forge for every artist, that became a continuation of the late 19th century cafe cantante.

This show's lineup features the artistic director of Seville's famous tablao 'El Arenal' - Antonio Castro 'El Antoñete', and the hand-picked premium crew of the Arenal regulars. The uncompromising force behind 'El Arenal' current status as one of the best tablaos in the world, Antoñete is the symbol of 'fuerza' (strength) and artistic maturity, showcasing his impeccable traditional style.

He is joined by the young, award-winning prodigy dancer Moises Navarro, a true powerhouse who also performs in two of the best flamenco companies, that of Rocio Molina and Eva la Yerbabuena, and Malta's own Francesca Gima 'La Chica' the only foreign artist to have performed in Arenal in the recent years, fresh from the Australian tour where the "audience erupted in cheers and a standing ovation" DANCEHUB 2012 at her "sublime talents" (INSIDER ENTERTAINMENT 2012).

Proudly presenting two of the most powerful voices on the current scene that of Moi de Morón and Trini de la Isla, the solid and swingy guitar of the Arenal's favorite - Ruben Romero and  Andrej Vujicic who last year became the first percussionist to introduce cajon in a tablao in Seville, sharing his position currently with the legendary Ramon Porrina.

The company's performance at the Teatru Manoel will be an attempt to deconstruct the artifice and strip away the layers of the 'postcard flamenco' and forward the distilled essence of unrehearsed experience.

'Siéntese' refers to 'please be seated', but also to the flamenco expression "arte que esta sentao" meaning the art that has matured, that 'sits' on the top of a pile of years soaked in the essence of the art-form, the dance on the edge of trance, no longer a series of steps but the only way to express the innermost essence of oneself.

Puerto Flamenco appear as part of the Teatru Manoel BOV Performing Arts Festival.

Tickets: [email protected] Tel: 2124 6389

See also www.teatrumanoel.com.mt                         

Ticket prices: €30, €25, €15