Flamenco in all its forms – March 13, 2021

Bourgie Hall presents

Flamenco in all its forms

Bourgie Hall invites you to dive into the world of flamenco, the spellbinding dance form that originated in 18th-century Andalusia, and its Arab, Jewish, and Gitano influences. This overview of the dance that best embodies the Spanish soul traces the history of flamenco from its origins to today, while the artists on stage present its three essential components: music, song, and dance.

Artists
Delphine Mantha, dance

Delphine Mantha began dancing the flamenco in 1994, after training in classical ballet at the Grands Ballets Canadiens and numerous workshops in contemporary dance in Montreal, the United States and England. She quickly joined the company Sol y Sombra (1996-97) and began teaching. She then flew to Spain where she studied flamenco for almost three years with the great masters at the famous Madrid school Amor de Dios.

In 2001, she  returned to Montreal to open her flamenco academy and to co-found the company Barrio flamenco where she acts as a dancer and choreographer. In order to refine her knowledge, she makes annual professional development trips to Spain, notably in 2003 thanks to the granting of the Canada Council for the Arts grant.

In July 2018 she danced with the Sevillian dancer Juan Polvillo at the Cabaret du Lion d’Or. She performs regularly alongside guitarist Caroline Planté as part of her travel show, notably at the Maison de la culture Ahuntsic in April 2019.

Alvaro Echanove, voice

Alvaro Echánove is a Spanish singer who was born in a nomadic family that lived in France, Singapore and Japan. Before diving into Flamenco, he sang David Bowie and Leonard Cohen in the Parisian subway, in the streets of London, on French national television (Nouvelle Star 2014) and in a community center for the addicted (Espoir Goutte d’Or).

He learned Flamenco singing at the prestigious Cristina Heeren Foundation in Seville. He also knows how to accompany dance and cante with the guitar. His singing alternates between gentle crooning and savage yelling (with a little bit of both in-between.)

He has played more than 300 shows in eight countries, holds a Master’s degree in Anthropology of Law from the Sorbonne, and also works as a professional mediator. He is 28 years old. He is currently living in Montreal, teaching, singing for dance schools and in many of the city’s best venues such as Rialto Theater,  Place des Arts, Le Balcon and Sala Rossa. He has also toured in Ottawa, Toronto, and all the way to La Paz, Bolivia.

He frequently collaborates with Canada’s finest flamenco artists : Delphine Mantha, Henry Garf “Quique”, Caroline Planté, José Vega, Aurélie Brunelle, Dominique Soulard, Jheinsen Montalvo, Dennis Duffin and Hanser Santos Gomez, to name only a few.

Caroline Planté, guitar

Born in Montreal, Canada, Caroline Planté began her musical studies (flamenco guitar and piano) at 7 years old. Her father, guitarist Marcel Planté ‘El Rubio’, passed on his musical knowledge and his love of flamenco music.

She was awarded many bursaries both by the Arts Council of Canada and Arts and Letter Council of Quebec and later perfected her skills in Spain (Sevilla and Madrid) with several master guitarists, singers and dancers. She is one of the rare women to play flamenco guitar. Caroline progressively carved herself a place of choice in this discipline where men are predominant.

With over 20 years of experience as a composer and guitarist, she participated in the elaboration, composition and interpretation of several important productions in Canada, U.S.A and Spain.

Musical director of Cruceta Flamenco (Madrid, Spain) from 2005 to 2013, she composed and directed the music for the company’s last six productions:Othello (2005), En Rojo (2006), Invernadero-8reflexiones (2009), La Confidencia (2011), La Diosa Impura (2012) and bpm_danza (2013). These shows were presented at some of the most prestigious festivals in Spain, in Canada and in the USA.

Concert-Lecture
Presented in French

Dates: March 13 at 2:30 pm and available online until March 27, 11 pm

To purchase your virtual ticket visit: www.mbam.qc.ca/en/bourgie-hall/