Artists – Flamencubana!
Kasandra “La China”
producer, creative director, choreographer, flamenco dancer
Kasandra is one of Canada’s leading flamenco artists well-known for her unrelenting drive to push the artistic envelope. A tirelessly ambitious artistic director and soloist, Kasandra is always hungry for new sources of inspiration and knowledge, constantly pushing her musical and choreographic mastery to its limits. She has been identified as “Vancouver’s flamenco star who has embodied flamenco with her dynamic, precise style” by Flamenco-World magazine.
A dedicated and inspiring performer, Kasandra has appeared in prestigious events with the Vancouver International Dance Festival, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Victoria Flamenco Festival and has performed all over BC. She has performed with international flamenco dance stars including Ivan Vargas, Jose Manuel Alvarez, Emilio Ochando, Ricardo Lopez, Maria Bermudez, Manuel Gutierrez as well as renowned Canadian artists including Irish tapper, Joel Hanna, and contemporary dancer, Alvin Tolentino, focusing on duets. She has striven to work with the highest calibre of musicians including flamenco guitarists Gaspar Rodriguez, Daniel Jurado, Miguel Angel Ramos de Puerta Real, Gareth Owen and flamenco singer/palmeros Miguel Rosendo, Vicente Griego & Luis de la Tota. She continues to be inspired developing a varied repertoire with her percussionist, Davide Sampaolo.
Known for her explosive spirit, precise rhythmic footwork, grace and personal character, Kasandra’s love of flamenco is contagious as she strives to educate new audiences and bring newcomers to the art form through her dance. Her generous spirit has nurtured dozens of seasoned and emerging dancers in the scene and has brought countless fans to the art of Flamenco.
Josue Otero Tacoronte
flamenco guitarist (Cuba)
Josué Otero Tacoronte, is a highly acclaimed guitarist, composer and musical arranger originally from Havana, Cuba. He began his musical studies at the age of six and trained in classical piano and guitar, winning numerous national competitions. In 1997 he ventured out into playing Spanish flamenco guitar working as a composer, music director and musical arranger for the Spanish Ballet of Cuba, and Aires Flamenco Company in Havana, and also the Ballet Español Proart, Cale Bari, and Mexico Flamenco in Mexico. He has studied flamenco guitar with many maestros including Antonio Rodriguez, Pedro Sierra, Paco Jarana, Jesus Torres, José Luís Rodriguez, Eduardo Rebollar, Pedro Sanchez and Antonio Rey.
One of his most important musical achievements has been his consistent contribution on research, musical arrangements, performance and recording of the Cuban guitar repertoire that includes pieces by composers such as Leo Brouwer, Ernesto Lecuona, amongst others, crossing over into other genres such as flamenco without losing Cuban essence. He has recorded several albums including “Josué Tacoronte y Skpao”, “Mexico Flamenco “ and “Brouwer Flamenco” for which he was awarded “Best Concert Interpreter” at the International Festival CUBADISCO Awards, in May 2013. He toured all over Cuba, Spain, Argentina, USA, Switzerland, Austria, Morocco, France, Dominican Republic, Peru and Mexico. http://www.josuetacoronte.com
Jafelin Helten
flamenco singer (Venezuela)
Jafelin is one of Canada’s preeminent Flamenco and Latin singers. She has been popular in Vancouver’s flamenco scene for 20 years. In 2015, Jafelin co-produced the popular concert tour, “FlamenCubana!” where she performed with 12 great Spanish Flamenco and Cuban artists to the delight of audiences in Vancouver, Victoria and Nanaimo.
Passionate about Flamenco, Jafelin has continuously studied and collaborated with the highest caliber of Flamenco artists and aficionados from Spain and internationally to deepen her knowledge and understanding the essence of the “cante”. She has the honour of being recognized and accepted as an international flamenco cantaora in Spain, a position very difficult to attain. She has performed in Peña Canaleja with Miguel Angel Ramos from Puerto Real and tabancos in Jerez de la Frontera including El Pasaje and El Guitarrón, and in Granada, Cueva Maria La Canastera.
Jafelin is the founder and international ambassador for the worldwide flamenco website ExpoFlamenco.com which promotes the flamenco art form and connects flamenco lovers and communities around the globe. She has earned recognition in Mairena del Alcor, Spain from the Ayuntamiento de Mairena del Alcor for the work of promoting flamenco worldwide.
She can be heard on Juan de Maria’s “Mimbre” and her own albums “Tantos Caminos” and “Algo De Mi” and “Cantos y Memorias de mi Gente”, a collaboration with the unique international Cuban band, Brisas Del Palmar, recorded in Santiago de Cuba. www.jafelin.com
Davide Sampaolo
flamenco percussionist (Rome)
Originally from Rome, Davide was born into a family of musicians and studied music at the “Scuola popolare di Musica di Testaccio” and at the “TIMBA drum and percussion school” where he studied Afro-Cuban drums (Congas, Timbal, Bongò, Batà) with great maestros such as Roberto “Mamey” Evangelisti, Paulo La Rosa, Valter Paiola and Gabriele Gagliarini. He learned from prominent figures such as Reinaldo Hernandez Ramirez and Irian Lopez Rodriguez, growing his knowledge about Cuban folklore, Rumba, Son, Salsa and Latin Jazz.
He travelled to Spain regularly for many years to Sevilla, Cordoba, Granada, Malaga and Barcelona to understand the language of the Flamenco Cajon, and then moved to Madrid to learn more about modern Flamenco Cajon with the great maestros José Ruiz “Bandolero”, Rafael Jimenez “el Chispas”, José Antonio Montaña and Kike Terron.
He has performed and toured internationally, playing for great Flamenco artists from Spain and Italy including dancers Pastora Galvan, Ivan Vargas Heredia and Cristina Benitez; guitarists Anton Jimenez, Manuel Montero Miranda, Vahagni Turgutyan; singers Antonio Villar, Davide Hornillo, Coral de los Reyes, among many others. He works in the Latin and Flamenco scenes here in Vancouver and regularly with Kasandra “La China”