Manuel Ramírez at Duende Flamenco Festival

Flamenco dancer Manuel Ramírez performs with special guest Renka featuring José Vega at Aga Khan Museum’s Duende Flamenco Festival.

The theme of Ramírez’s performance is how a dancer confronts his fears and dances on stage alone. It showcases Flamenco’s ability to adapt as he demonstrates his lively personal style while respecting the traditions and trajectory of Flamenco in the 21st century.

The evening also features local group Renka with special guest José Vega, the accomplished Flamenco guitarist and powerful expressionist from Cádiz, Spain. Led by dancer and teacher Rie Ishizuka, the performance pushes further the geographical, spiritual, and cultural influences of and upon Flamenco, by combining Japanese folk song and Buddhism chanting.

About Manuel Ramírez

Manuel Ramírez is a solo dancer, choreographer, and artistic director of Manuel Ramírez Flamenco Ballet. He began his Flamenco studies under la Chiqui de Jerez y Antonio el Pipa. He has worked in Palacio Andaluz in Seville, Corral de la Morería, Corral de la Pacheca and the “Candela” in Madrid. He has been the principal dancer alongside Antonio “El Pipa” and Miguel Vargas, performing at the Jerez Festival and the Biennale of Seville. He has also been part of the ballet corps for companies managed by Sara Baras, Estévez-Paños, and Rafael Aguilar with whom he performed in theatres around the world.

About Duende Flamenco Festival

Flamenco is comprised of several art forms –singing, music, and dance – influenced by Arabic, Sephardic and nomadic Gypsy traditions originally from India. The Iberian Peninsula was once part of the al-Andalus dynasty, and Flamenco represents the synergies arising from collaborations between the world’s three major religions.

Thus is the annual Duende Festival ideal for showcasing the many tangents that extend from Muslim history and culture, stretching the public’s idea of the reaches of Islamic culture. It celebrates the multidisciplinary nature of Flamenco influenced by different cultures and forms, and its evolving expression from across Spain by presenting a range of music and dance by local, domestic and international artists as well as film screenings.

The 2018 edition combines efforts with the Canadian Arab Orchestra and their Festival of Arabic Music and Arts, presenting a new performance marking the group’s first major foray into Flamenco. The Festival is also collaborating with Montreal’s Festival du Monde Arabe to present a world-premiere performance linking Aleppo, Andalusia and Montreal, as well as working with a new Spanish agency partner, Flamenco Agency.