dance:
SILVIA CABEZA
MAITE CORREAS
vocals:
CARMEN FERNANDEZ
guitar:
MICHEL GILLAIN
percussion:
MARTA FLENDRIG

Marta Flendrig, percussion

Marta Flendrig started dancing as a toddler with Esmeralda. Soon however flamenco turned from a game into a true passion. As a young girl she pefromed with guitar player Mario Cortés, whose sister Carmen would become her teacher later on. From the age of fifteen, she traveled to Andalucia for ever longer periods of time, to take courses and to go to flamencofeasts and festivals. It is there that she got to know the real essence of flamenco. In Madrid she continued her studies with masters such as El Guito, Cristobal Reyes and Manolete, and she performed in several Tablaos. In Sevilla she was trained by the famous Manolo Marin. At the moment she is performing at home and abroad with amongst others the group Chupendi, with whom she also featured several times on dutch, german and spanish televesion. As a diplomized teachers, she also instructs both beginning and professional dancers. In addition to her work as a dancer she also interprets her natural sense of rhythm as a percussionist.

Maite Correas, dance

Having grown up in the flamenco environment (her mother was also a professional dancer), Maite Correas was predestined to live a life of flamenco. From a very early age she shined as a star dancer with numerous companies (such as Compañia Antonio Martinez, with whom she did several performances abroad and in the PSK) Her gracious style, her extraordinary sense of rhythm and her charismatic presentation made her into a highly saught-after artist, proven by e.g. the many collaborations with Wannes Van de Velde.

Silvia Cabeza, dance

Silvia Cabeza Alfaro has been dancing Clasico Españot since she was seven. At the age of 12 she took up flamenco dancing unter the guidance of top dancer María Jesús Adame Sanchèz, a teacher at La Chispa. Silvia lived in Spain for a long time, where she took up several dancing courses and workshops with the most renowned artists such as Eva la Yerbabuena, Antonio "El Chupette", Juana Amaya, Pastora Galvan, La Farruca, La Farraona, El Farruquito. Silvia Cabez Alfaro worked in the best tablaos of Spain, among which the famous
“El Cordobes” in Barcelona and “Los Tarantos” in Granada. Once back in Holland, her dancing carreer took a quick flight. She has now become a busy and popular dancer. Next to that, she also teaches in Leiden, Utrecht, Amsterdam and Rotterdam and she often performs in well-known theatres. Her dance is characterized by a very own style: spicy, passioned and fierce. But above all: flamenco puro.

Carmen Fernandez, vocals

Carmen Fernandez was born in 1968 in Utrera (province of Seville) and stems from a famous flamenco family, to which also belonged legendary singer Juan Talega. Being the youngest daughter in a gipsy family, she grew up amidst flamenco culture. Her mother a singer, her father a dancer: it is no surprise that soon Carmen too became devoted to the Arte Flamenco.
She started off as a dancer, but ended up becoming a singer – always faithfully interpreting the ancient flamenco traditions. Still she succeeds in adding a most personal touch to her music. She is a flamenco singer with a sound basis of flamenco knowledge. Her powerful and touching voice made her into the public’s favourite in many a Spanish flamenco peña, as well as on numerous festivals in Germany and the Benelux.
She collaborated with Concha Vargas, Joaquin Ruiz and Andres Marin, among others.
Discography: her first CD dates back to 2003. Her second and most recent record, called “Natura”, was released in 2005.
She figured on many large and famous stages in Europe and Japan, both as a soloist and as a dancing accompanist.

Michel Gillain, guitar

From an early age, Michel Gillain spent several long periods in Andalucia, where he took intensive guitar classes with Paco Serrano and Merengue de Cordoba. Later followed masterclasses with Rafaël Riqueni (at the “Festival Internacional de Guitarra”, Cordoba 1991) an Manolo Sanlucar ( “III & IV Seminario Internacional de Guitarra Flamenca”, Jerez de la Frontera 1991 and 1992). During the following years, he became the fixed guitar player of the Compañia Anonio Martinez (PSK Brussels 1995, 1996, 1997 and the Mannheim Flamenco Festival 1996). His own dancing group “Bienestar” was the main act at the festival “ Zomer van Antwerpen 1997” and at summer festivals in Dortmund and Tilburg. Michel Gillain has given several solo recitals in Belgium (recordings by Radio 3 and Klara), Holland, France and Japan. In 1998 e.g. he gave a solo recital in the belgian embassy in Tokyo. This was followed by japanese tours in 1999 and 2001, with amongst others a highly succesful solo recital at the 8th European Film Festival of Osaka. In 1999 he coordinated the “Misa Flamenca” project for the Las Lanza society from Breda, Holland. This Misa also allowed him to do a tour through Flanders in 2002, along with the VRT choir. In addition, Michel Gillain also signed for the live projects “Nicolaes Cleynaerts, Pastor de Amor” (2000), “Juana la Loca” (2004) and “La vida de Pablo” (2005). Since recently, he is also part of a musical duo along with Philippe Malfeyt (lute, theorbe and baroque guitar). His first cd “Nicolaes Cleynaerts, Pastor de Amor”, was released in 2000. The pedagogical videos “Introduction to flamenco guitar” (2 parts) appeared in 2002. In 2005, Michel Gillain received a deed from the Spanish Cultural Association Circulo Hispanico Las Lanzas, for his large contribution to spanish music.