By: Rhiannon Johnston
Photos: THT
Redondo Beach, CA (The Hollywood Times) 04/05/2023 – You know you’re in the midst of something special when the audience is compelled to bust out their phones to capture an exciting performance happening before their very eyes. I look over and see my friend has a twinkle in her eye and I feel my cold heart melting as a fire starts to burn inside me. As we sit in the audience at the Redondo Beach Arts Center watching the flamenco performers, we can hear audience members clap along and shout “ole!”
The LA International Flamenco Festival was a one-of-a-kind show that we had the honor of seeing live on stage at the Redondo Beach Arts Center. On Sunday April 2nd, 2023, the performance included flamenco harpist Ana Crismán, vocalists David El Galli and Manuel de la Tomasa, guitarist David de Arahal, percussionist Miguel ‘Cheyén’ Rodriguez, Award-Winning Flamenco Dancer Lakshmi Basile “La Chimi” and the only GRAMMY-Winning Flamenco Dancer in the World, Nino de los Reyes.
The night started off with a silky and spicy flamenco harp solo performance by Ana Crismán. She is a world-renowned musician known not only for playing but also composing music on the harp. The Spanish harp has a distinctive sound and seeing her play blew us away. She used a lever harp that she often flipped at the top of the instrument to change the tone of the string, adding another layer of sound. The level of difficulty she performed is astonishing, her technique is miraculous, and her style is vivacious. Her emotion was exhibited through her playing the staccato notes. Although we were captivated by her talent, I kept wondering when we would see some dancers join in on the fun.
Next up, vocalists David El Galli and Manuel de la Tomasa performed an acapella piece that was full of exuberance and packed with emotion, which set the tone for the rest of the show. David El Galli has toured the world singing and teaching Cante Flamenco master classes. He is a powerhouse with an intense voice that filled the auditorium with a plethora of emotions. Manuel de la Tomasa might be the baby in the show being the youngest performer of the evening, still in his mid 20’s, but he gave the audience a spanking. He stole our hearts, gave it a vigorous massage, then handed it back to us wrapped up like a spicy burrito. Together David & Manuel carried their robust voices throughout the remainder of the show articulating every note they hit.
Joining them for the rest of the show were guitarist David de Arahal and percussionist ‘Cheyén’. David De Arahal is a world-renowned Flamenco guitarist and composer. As he ferociously played his guitar on stage, the overhead spotlight shined down on him. Although it created a mood, I had wished he was spotted from the front and closer to the audience so that we could see the intricacy of his fingers stroking the guitar. ‘Cheyén’ is a mysterious man who deserves more credit for his accomplishments on the internet. He miraculously played three drums at a time, a djembe laying on its side, a aludu (a modern day udu made from aluminum) and a cajon, a box shaped drum that he sat on while playing. Cheyen’s drums were the heartbeat of the show; he marvelously kept the tempo for all the performers throughout the show by drumming with his bare hands.
What makes flamenco so special is that all the performers interact with one another and are equally part of the performance. There is no star of the show, although I do have my favorite dance moments. Lakshmi Basile “La Chimi” and Nino de los Reyes performed several dance routines throughout the show, both exquisitely executing their solos and duets with passion from head to toe. They were truly able to emote the music that played around them.
La Chimi took my breath away when she entered the stage wrapped up in a scarf and creatively used it as a prop in one of her solos as well as her skirt throughout the show. Nino commanded the stage as the show came to a close. He blew the roof off with his energy and intricate footwork. It was at this point that I noticed a battery pack strapped to his waistband and a microphone dangling from his right ankle. After the show La Chimi told me that it is common for Flamenco dancers to use this during performances to amplify the sound of their footwork, but I probably never sat close enough to see it until today. La Chimi and Nico joined the rest of the ensemble to do an encore piece at the end. The dancers were excellent partners and the entire ensemble harmoniously blended together.
In addition to the performances, the L.A. International Flamenco Festival featured an art exhibition with works by Parsi painter and dancer Afroz André in the art gallery. Through her creations she elevates awareness of Flamenco’s role in social awakening. The selected works at the exhibit were divided into three parts: ‘The representation of bodies in motion shedding identities’, ‘The relationship between emerging identities and contrasting settings,’ and ‘The empowerment of Flamenco in new identities embodied’. We thought this was a beautiful way to end the show, discussing the relationship between different mediums of art, whether it be music, dance or visual, the show in its entirety was cohesive and lit a fire in our souls. We left feeling a newfound sense of invigoration and it had us re-examining our own identities.
