Por qué/Why? with Flamenco sin Fronteras

Date: Updated on December 2, 2020

An international ensemble of renowned flamenco artists put the tradition’s versatility and resilience to the test in a new performance for the Aga Khan Museum’s Duende Festival.

On Saturday, November 28, 2020 Spanish flamenco luminaries Emilio Ochando (dance) and Miriam Mendez (piano) along with Toronto pioneer Carmen Romero presented a preview of their latest work-in-progress. Por qué?/Why? is an interrogation of the creative process in the COVID-19 era. This ensemble defies disruption by drawing upon their artistic ingenuity, fiery passion, and the volcanic language of flamenco.  

Click the video below to stream a recording of the performance.

The development of Por qué?/Why? was funded in part by the Canada Council for the Arts, and produced with support from the Aga Khan Museum.

BIOS

Carmen Romero is the artistic director and principal dancer of Toronto’s Compañía Carmen Romero. She teaches and directs at the School of Flamenco Dance Arts and gives workshops, lectures, and demonstrations internationally. Romero has served as an adjudicator for the Canada Arts Council and has received many awards, including a Chalmers Award for creativity and excellence in the arts.

Miriam Mendez is a world-renowned pianist and composer based in Spain. Born in Seville into a musical family, she started her musical training at the age of three. Throughout her childhood, Mendez lived between two worlds: immersing herself in flamenco at home and classical music at conservatories and schools all over Europe. After the success of her first album, Bach por Flamenco, she became a regular and popular performer at internationals festivals, including the International Cultural Festival in Antalya, Turkey, the International Piano Festival in Barcelona, and the Berlin International Film Festival.

Emilio Ochando is an award-winning dancer and choreographer based in Spain. He trained at the prestigious National Ballet of Spain and the Royal Conservatory of Madrid. He danced with the companies of Domingo Ortega, Aida Gomez, Rafael Aguilar, Inma Ortega, Nuevo Ballet Espanol, and Rojas y Rodriguez. In addition, he has toured Europe, Asia, and North America and has worked extensively in Japan.