MDC Live Arts & Olympia Theater Present Tomatito: The World’s Greatest Living Flamenco Guitarist in a Moving Tribute

tomatito-by-olga-holguin
Flamenco guitarist, Tomatito

Miami Dade College’s (MDC) MDC Live Arts and the Olympia Theater  present Tomatito, the world’s greatest living flamenco guitarist—direct from Spain—at 8 p.m., on Friday, Nov. 4, at the Olympia Theater.

“We are thrilled to present this torch-bearer of Spain’s great tradition. With the passing of Paco de Lucia, Tomatito stands as one of the most important figures in the world of flamenco,” said MDC Live Arts Executive Director,Kathryn Garcia.  

Tomatito was discovered as a child prodigy and mentored by the late great Paco De Lucía. For years, he was the exclusive accompanist of the legendary singer Camarón de la Isla. Now, with the passing of both his mentor and his musical partner, Tomatito honors their legacies and stands as the leading purveyor of Spain’s most celebrated tradition.

In this program, Tomatito will be joined by the electrifying dancer José Maya, who has collaborated with many of the most renowned flamenco artists including Farruquito, El Güito, Manolete, Estrella Morente, Gerardo Núñez and Diego El Cigala, and has opened for pop stars Marc Anthony, Beyoncé, and Björk.

Between the fiery dancing and passionate music—this is sure to be an unforgettable concert event.

“Olympia Theater has a long association with the arts and culture of Spain – particularly during the month of November.  I can’t think of a better setting for an evening of music and a tribute to the legends of Flamenco,”adds Robert Geitner, Executive Director of Olympia Theater.

MDC Live Arts is also offering an incredible opportunity to intermediate and advanced guitar students: a Master Class by Tomatito on Friday, Nov. 3, at the new Live Arts Lab (formerly Prometeo Theater). To register, visithttp://mdclivearts.org/live-arts-exchange.

This concert is part of MDC Live Arts Mundo series, bringing the best music, dance and theater from around the globe. Next up is BrazilIan samba sensation Maria Rita on March 18, 2017— also co-presented with the Olympia Theater.

ABOUT TOMATITO

José  Fernández  Torres,  better  known  as  Tomatito,  is  a  living  legend  of flamenco guitar. He has presented his art the  world over and  been hailed as one of the best.

He  was  born  in  Almería,  southern  Spain,  surrounded  by  guitars.  Since childhood  he  listened  to  his  father  and  grandfather,  Miguel  Tomate, and his uncle, the legendary  Flamenco  guitarist  Miguel  Niño.  At  age  12,  he moved  to  the  city  of  Malaga,  where  he  started   playing  flamenco clubs, such as La Taberna Gitana, where he met his mentor Paco de Lucía, and musical partner  Camarón de la Isla. His extraordinary  playing drew  attention from critics and fans, and he began  to  perform  with  great  singers, includingEnrique  Morente  and La  Susi, but  his greatest honor is to have played with the legendary Camarón de la Isla for the last 18 years of his life.

 

Alongside   Camarón,   Tomatito   recorded   albums   that   are   now   essential references  in  the  flamenco  archive,  such  as  “La  Leyenda  del Tiempo” and “Como el Agua.” In the latter, he is accompanied by Paco de Lucía.  After Camarón’s death, Tomatito began his solo career, dazzling audiences with his exquisite sensitivity. His charismatic personality and a commitment  to  the  development  and  dissemination  of  flamenco  worldwide  have earned him recognition , not only in the field of music but also in film, theater and art.

 

He’s  won  a  total  of  five  Grammy  Awards and  Latin Grammys for his albums “Aguadulce” and “Soy Flamenco.”  Tomatito hascollaborated  with  many  performers  from  around  the  world,  including Elton  John  and  Frank  Sinatra,  and  has  influenced generations  of young  guitarists.

 

ABOUT MDC LIVE ARTS

MDC Live Arts is Miami’s most eclectic performing arts series.  Created in 1990 as Cultura del Lobo, MDC Live Arts has a celebrated history of bringing extraordinary national and international performing artists to Miami. The annual series presents today’s most exciting artists and designs meaningful engagement between these artists, the students of MDC, and the greater community. MDC Live Arts seeks artists from across the globe who push boundaries and honor traditions relevant to Miami’s diverse community, and aims to offer audiences opportunities to discover new ideas, perspectives and forms of expression. For more information, please visitwww.mdclivearts.org.

 

The Programs of MDC Live Arts are made possible with the generous support of: Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council; the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners; the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture; the National Endowment for the Arts; the City of Miami Beach Department of Tourism and Cultural Development, Office of Cultural Affairs; the Miami Beach Mayor and City Commissioners; Miami Dade County Cultural Passport in partnership with Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, Miami-Dade County Public Schools, and the Foundation for New Education Initiative; the New England Foundation for the Arts’ National Dance Project, with lead funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, with additional support from the National Endowment for the Arts; and National Performance Network (NPN) Creation Fund. MDC Live Arts is a Partner of the National Performance Network (NPN). Major NPN contributors include the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Ford Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

 

ABOUT OLYMPIA THEATER

Celebrating its 90th Anniversary, the Olympia Theater opened in 1926 as Downtown Miami’s palace for silent movies and vaudeville. Olympia Center, Inc., the non-profit organization managing the City-owned, historic venue on Flagler Street in Downtown Miami, has been working since 2010 to bring exciting new programming to Miami’s historic Performing Arts Center.

The Programs of Olympia Theeater  are made possible with the generous support of: Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council; the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners; the Miami Downtown Development Authority; the State of Florida’s Division of Cultural Affairs and the City of Miami.

 

WHAT:              MDC Live Arts and Olympia Theater present Flamenco legend Tomatito

 

WHEN:             Friday, Nov 4, at 8 p.m.

WHERE:           Olympia Theater

                          174 E. Flagler Street, Miami

TICKETS are $35-65 plus fees; MDC Students $10 Tickets atolympiatheater.org


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