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Zarzamora
   
   
   
"ZarZamora"
    

   
 

Tu cabello y el mio
se han enredao
como la zarzamora
por los vallaos

 

Zarzamora, - the bramble bush in the poetry of the Flamenco is the image of the ever flowing life and with it the combination of love and pain, the sweet fruit in the midst of thorns. In this spectacle, the artists bring pure and simple Flamenco and tell of their loves and the strange, sometimes painful bends one's road can suddenly make.
   
   
   
   
Ensemble
    

   
   
   
Dance: Irene Alvarez
Vocals: Carmen Fernandez
Guitar: Alexander Gavilán
Percussion: Ruven Ruppik
   
   
   
Irene Alvarez, Dance  
  
The Sevillian Flamenco dancer Irene Alvarez began her training in classical Spanish dance at the age of nine with the famous Matilde Coral in the "Real Conservatorio Superior de Musica y Danza" in Seville. In 1993 she earned her degree and since then she has continued to perfect her dancing with guidance of legendary dancers such as El Güito, Manolo Marin, Javier Latorre, Isabel Bayon, José Galván, Pilar Ogalla, Angel Atienza and Manuel Betanzos. Building on the traditional Flamenco she has developed her own distinctive style which constantly moves between an impulsive, sometimes quite modern expression, and the feminine elegance which is the hallmark of the Sevillian school. In 1992, Irene starred in the film "Sevillanas" by Carlos Saura, but she only began to perform in tablaos and international theaters on a regular bases since 2002. She frequently collaborates with guitarist Antonio Andrade and the dancer Federico Ordoñez, with whom she founded "DOS" . In addition to her performances at various European festivals (including Guitar Festival Balatonfüred, Hungary Festival "Sur les Routes des Musiques Tsiganes" 2009, Caen, France, Berliner Philharmonie 2009/2010, Germany, Flamenco Festival Rotterdam, Gypsy Festival Tilburg 2010, Netherlands), she has also been invited as a guest soloist with the guitarist Rafael Cortes, the Polish group "Los Payos", "Sevilla Mia" (Ramirez, Cristina Hall), "Inspiracion Flamenca" (with guitarist Ulrich Gottwald) and several cross-over projects such as "El Pelele - Noche de Canciones Españoles ", the indian-andalusian "Kathak Flamenco" with the "Music Ensemble of Benares" and José Parrondo and the "Classic Club Nights" with the trombonists of the "Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra" in concert-hall "De Doelen"(2011). In 2010 she founded her own "Cuadro Flamenco Irene Alvarez", along with singer Carmen Fernandez and guitarist Alexander Gavilán and produces the programs "The Alegrias Soleares y" and "Zarzamora." Irene leads her own dance school "Arrebato", was assistant to the Maestra Isabel Bayon during the festival of Jerez in the years 2009 and 2010 and is a guest lecturer at Codarts Rotterdam.
   
   
   
Carmen Fernandez, Vocals  
  
Carmen Fernandez was born in 1968 in Utrera (Seville province) and comes from a prominent Flamenco family to whom the legendary singer Juan Talega belongs. As the youngest daughter of a gypsy family she was raised with Flamenco. Her mother is a singer, her father a dancer. It is thus no surprise that Carmen soon dedicated her life completely to the Arte Flamenco.
First as a dancer, then as a singer she is a faithful interpreter of the ancient Flamenco traditions. Yet she manages to give it her own personal and distinctive touch.
She is a Flamenco singer with a sound base of Flamenco knowledge. With her powerful, compelling voice, she was already the favorite of the public in countless Flamencopeñas in Spain and numerous of festivals in Germany and the Benelux.
She has worked with a large number of artists including Concha Vargas, Joaquin Ruiz and Andres Marin.
Discography: her first CD dates from 2003 and the second and most recent CD, called "Naturá" was launched in 2005.
Both as a soloist but also as a dance companion, she stood on many major venues in Europe and Japan.
   
   
   
Alexander Gavilán, Guitar  
  
The Flamenco guitarist Alexander Gavilán mixes an orthodox technique with modern, usually own compositions. His playing is intense and virtuosic. He is a skilled dance and vocal accompanist and sometimes also performs solo. Although he is more at home within the traditional Flamenco , where he frequently works with dancers Irene Alvarez and Federico Ordoñez and the singers Carmen Fernandez, Jose Ligero, Ana Gomez and José Parrondo, he also enjoys participating in musical experiments such as for instance with the group "A touch of Flamenco" by drummer Klaus Mages or the "Music Ensemble of Benares" (Kathak / Flamenco).
Alexander Gavilán studied Flamenco guitar at Codarts Rotterdam with Paco Peña, Ricardo Mendeville and Hans van Goch. In Seville, he took classes with Niño de Pura, M.A. Cortes and J.L. Postigo. he also attended master classes with Manolo Franco, Tomatito, Paco Serrano, Moraíto, Alfredo Lagos, Chicuelo and Diego de Morao.
Since 1994, Alexander Gavilán starred with various ensembles (including "Amanecer," "A Touch of Flamenco", "DOS", "Trio Federico Ordoñez") on numerous European stages as a guest. Among others he performed in: Philharmonie Krakow, Poland, Flamenco Festivals Düsseldorf and Freiburg, Germany, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Royal Circus in Brussels, Festival of Music of the 21st century in Evora, Portugal, Guitar Festival Balatonfüred, Hungary, Flamenco Festival Rotterdam, Gypsy Festival Tilburg, Slovenian International Flamenco Festival (SIFF) and Festival Ibérica, Czech Republic.
In 2007 he produced the show "Pastora", a tribute to the singer Niña de los Peines (Zuiderpershuis Antwerp) and in 2008 "12 Tiempos de Amor" for OdeGand, Festival of Flanders. Since 2005 he combines his performances with an appointment as a lecturer in Flamenco guitar at Codarts Rotterdam. His latest projects are "The Alegrias y Soledad" (2010) and "Zarzamora" (2011) with the "Cuadro Flamenco Irene Alvarez".
   
   
   
Ruven Ruppik, Percussion  
  
The percussionist Ruven Ruppik is an extremely talented musician. He was born in Germany in 1986 in Rheda Wiedenbrück, and was only nine years old when he got his first drumming lessons and won the 2004 "Bundeswettbewerb Jugend Musiziert" in the category of solo drums with the highest score and special prizes of the "Irino-Foundation for Contemporary Music "and the" Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben ".
Besides his studies at the "Hochschule für Musik Detmold" he attended master classes with Karl Heinz Stockhausen and Michael and he performed under the direction of Kurt Masur and Peter Eötvös.
As a soloist Ruven Ruppik played a tour in Japan (2004), Switzerland and " Tonhalle Dusseldorf" (2005), "Festival of New Music of Macedonia" (2008) and in 2009 a solo performance that was broadcasted live by the WDR.
Apart from the fact that he was a member of several chamber music ensembles with which he performed all over Europe, China, Japan and Oman .
He also recorded four CD's with the world music ensemble "Vino Rosso" and "Nünning / Schallenberg Trio" and worked on several productions as a studio musician.
Besides his numerous performances he is currently intensively engaged with Flamenco, including at Codarts Rotterdam, where he is studying Latin percussion simultaneously.
This year his first book on the cajon will be published.
   
   
   
   
Foto door Eva Faché
Website:  https://www.facebook.com/Eva-Fach%C3%A9-Fotografie-515219831836297/