'Jerezania' flamenco show at the Murwillumbah Citadel

A LIVE flamenco performance led by artists with strong ties to the Spanish city of Jerez will be held at the Murwillumbah Citadel later this month.

The show brings together guitarist Paco Lara, dancer Sebastian Sanchez, dancer Juan Aguirre, singer Maite Jimenez and percussionist Carolina Constable.

At its centre is Jerezania, a collaboration between Lara and Sanchez that began unexpectedly in Australia.

Sanchez, a professional flamenco dancer born in Brisbane to a father from Jerez and a mother from Zaragoza, said the partnership started after he saw Lara perform in a Brisbane pub.

“‘Jerezania’ started in a Brisbane pub after I saw him do a show,” Sanchez said.

“We spoke a bit and then I learnt that Paco had been my bullfighter uncle’s neighbour back in Jerez, so he already knew my family very well, and we hit it off and have done a lot of shows together since.”

Lara was born and raised in Jerez and is known in Spain for his work with leading flamenco artists.

They are joined by Juan Aguirre, a dancer who has performed professionally in Spain for decades.

Sanchez said the show reflects a Jerez style of flamenco that is traditional, rhythmic and grounded in improvisation.

A live flamenco show featuring artists with ties to the Spanish city of Jerez will be held at the Murwillumbah Citadel. Photo: HOYOUN-LEE

The program includes bulerias, a form of flamenco where the dancer responds in real time to the singer and guitarist.

The Northern Rivers is home to a long-established Spanish community, and flamenco performances often carry added meaning for those living far from Spain.

Uki resident Marcos Castro-Cortez was born in Chipiona, a coastal town near Jerez, and has lived in Australia for 22 years.

Castro-Cortez said flamenco became more important to him after moving to Australia.

“My first memory of flamenco is listening to it on my neighbour’s radio back in Chipiona, and I imagine a full sun, the whitewashed walls of my hometown, and the distressed wails and howls of the singer,” he said.

He said the themes in flamenco lyrics reflect the homesickness he still feels.

“The flamenco lyrics are all about broken hearts, romantic angst and yearning,” Castro-Cortez said.

“One of the flamenco lines is ‘a flower only springs once’, essentially something so pure doesn’t last forever.”

The performance will be held at the Murwillumbah Citadel on February 13 and is sold out, with the Citadel bar open on the night.