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
