FlamenKCMO

Thursday, November 3rd, 5:30 – 8:00 pm
Kansas City Public Library – Central Library.

An exuberant flamenco trio performing traditional and contemporary palos, FlamenKCMO includes bailaora Melinda Hedgecorth, cantaor Antonio Rojas, and tocaore Beau Bledsoe. There performance will consist of multiple compositions with accompanying dance, all of which explore how music and flamenco exemplify an ethos of sustainability. In art, sustainability can mean the act of creating and being able to create, or the process of sharing your art with others in order to connect with your community, or sustainability can be expressed through how the art is made or performed.  “In flamenco,” as FlamenKCMO states, “we can sustain together the last note in a verse, the tremolo of the guitar, and the rumble of the dancer’s feet.” FlamenKCMO will be performing work by Manuel de Falla, Frederico García Lorca, and the group Triana, all artists who “not only sustained, but overcame the incredible odds to leave their impression on the world forever.”   

Bio:

Melinda has lived the last 14 years in one of the capital cities of flamenco and sister city to KC, Sevilla, Spain.  She spent her time performing in order to gain experience with local guitarists and singers practicing the codes and signals which make up the language of flamenco.  She developed her skills in flamenco clubs, cultural centers, museums and theatres, learning more onstage with her able musicians than she had ever learned in a studio setting.

Antonio Rojas is a singer and electric guitar player who has been a performer since his early teen years touring Andalucía, Spain playing Blues, Soul and Rock covers in English and Spanish, as well as his own compositions. Since moving to the USA in 2018 Antonio has widened his focus to include flamenco singing as a way to maintain contact with his roots in Sevilla.  He has been a guest artist with Ensemble Ibérica and is a founding member of group Flamenkcmo with Melinda Hedgecorth.  He performs regularly in his dual roles as Rock/Blues guitarist with Suburbans and Flamenco singer with Flamenkcmo.

Website: www.45gradosflamenco.com