FLAMENCO GITANO: The Festero Tradition with José El Pañero and Javier Heredia

A NY debut direct from Algeciras, Spain

José El Pañero from the Andalusian port city of Algeciras, the birthplace of guitarist Paco de Lucia, is among the most sought after Gypsy singer/dancers of the traditional old style festero Flamenco. He is joined by Javier Heredia who was born in the urban capital of flamenco, Sevilla, where he worked as a stevedore on the docks of the river Guadalquivir until Gypsy elders recognized his charismatic dancing and singing and began inviting him to perform for them at their private parties. In the tradition of the great festeros of the mid-20th century such as Miguel Funi, Paco Valdepeñas, el Mono and Anzonini del Puerto, their singing and dancing express the full range of human emotion, form comedic humor to the deep ancestral memory passed down through the generations in a language of gestures and melisma that take the listener back to a time when Gypsy songs were enmeshed in the harsh reality of poverty and social marginalization and flamenco dance was a spontaneous expression of cultural identity sparked by the deep feelings evoked by the song. For this special night renowned guitarist Antonio Moya, a “Premio Nacional” winner for best accompanist for flamenco vocals and Kina Mendez, a female “festera” will join them.