Bay Area Flamenco Festival: GITANERÍA DE JEREZ

Guitarist Pepe del Morao represents one of the most important flamenco guitar dynasties in history. Born in 1986, he began his professional life at age 14 working with his grandfather’s group, Manuel Morao y los Gitanos de Jerez. He was taken under the wing of his uncle Moraíto at a young age, performing with him and with his cousin Diego del Morao throughout Spain and around the world. A skilled accompanist for the cante he has worked with renowned singers such as Juana la del Pipa, Tomasa a Macanita and Jesus Méndez and appears on the CD “Nueva Frontera del Cante de Jerez.”

MANUEL TAÑÉ was born in Jerez de la Frontera and studied singing under the great masters Luis Moneo, Luis Parillo and Enrique “El Extremeño”. He started performing at the age of 16, and has gained national and international acclaim as one of the most in-demand singers for flamenco dance.

Luis de la Tota was born in one of the oldest Gypsy neighborhoods of Jerez de La Frontera, El Barrio de Santiago and began his career as a percussionist at the age of 8. He takes his artistic name from his grandmother ‘La Tota’, who has been an inspiration to him since his infancy. As a percussionist and palmero, Luis tours with flamenco’s top artists such as Antonio Del Pipa, Fernando de La Morena, El Capullo, Moraito, Diego Carrasco and Angelita Vargas and has come to the Bay Area several times with dancer Maria “Chacha” Bermudez. As a Flamenco lyricist, his verses (letras) have been recorded widely and his work as a percussionist can be heard on many CDs.

Lakshmi “La Chimi” has lived in, Spain since 2002 and has solidly established her career in Sevilla, an essential cradle place of flamenco. Studying with prominent Gypsy artists such as Los Farruco, Angelita Vargas, Juana Amaya, Yolanda Heredia and Concha Vargas, she was given the nickname “La Chimi” (her own name re-pronounced). In recent years she has had the opportunity to share the stage with such luminaries as Manuel Molina, Remedios Amaya, Jose Mendez, Antonio Moya, La Herminia, Carmen Ledesma, Antonio Rey and La Toná. In 2011 Lakshmi made history, being the first non-Spanish artist to win an award for flamenco dance at the prestigious Concurso de las Minas de La Unión. She was later granted another important award at the Concurso Nacional de Arte Flamenco de Córdoba.