Cafe de Chinitas: when Flamenco and Chinese music meet

Saturday October 28
8pm
Norman Rothstein Theatre,
Mozaico Flamenco Company
+ Orchid Ensemble

I love Flamenco Music… so I was happily surprised when Lan from the Orchid Ensemble handed me this flyer for the latest project that she will be involved in. 

The Orchid Ensemble has been involved with both traditional and fusion forms of Chinese music in Vancouver for many years, as well as jazz and contemporary.  Lan Tung is the innovative erhu (Chinese violin) player whose influences cross classical, celtic, middle-eastern, folk and blues.  Gelina Jiang is a multi-instrumentalist who can play zheng, ruan, yuetqin, pipa, jinhu and jin-erhu. Jonathan Bernard is a percussionist who also loves the marimba.

Combine these fine musicians with flamenco dancers and musicians, mix them up, light a fire, and watch them go! (or listen!)

Oscar Nieto
and Kasandra founded the Al Mozaico Flamenco Dance Academy in 2002. “Mozaico,” refers to the diversity of the ensemble, a mosaic
of students from different ethnic backgrounds, ages, and various diversities who love flamenco at the academy. 

It's hard for me to play flamenco on my accordion… I have tried to play Al di Meola's “Mediterranean Sundance” but I think I have to stick to my tangos, and other latin tunes like El Choclo, Espana and Two Guitars.  I have seen flamenco greats, Paco de Lucia and Paco Pena in concert here in Vancouver.  And twice… I attended dinner with Paco after his Misa Flamenco concerts… wow… what a treat to have such an attentive cousin who was friends with Paco back in London in the early 1970's.