FLAMENCO: it evokes passion, drama and above all Spain; an art of dancing that has been followed for over 12 centuries by both amateurs and professionals that have found its intensity and unique expressiveness irresistible.
That’s not enough for you, then how about the curiosity of a dancing family that goes back generations, from El Faruco to his grandchildren Farruco and Farruquito via their parents La Farruca and El Moreno?
Still not convinced? How about the lure of ‘One of the Most Beautiful People in the World’, as Farruquito was named by People magazine, in Limassol, performing with his brother for one night only this week?
It is generally believed that flamenco originated from at least four different cultures, Gitano, Hebrew, and Moorish as well as the Andalucian gypsies, all of whom suffered persecution between the from the 15th and 19th centuries from the Inquisition of the Catholic Kings. All these cultures found support in each other, and formed fugitive communities in the mountainous areas of the Sierra Morena and the Sierra Nevada.
The mix of these cultures in small villages led to what can be seen as the first origins of flamenco. The dance was named flamenco because it was the name used to describe gypsies in the early 1800s. Slowly, the dance and songs of Flamenco found their way out of the secluded villages and became acceptable and even fashionable.
There is no better example of the tradition than the Fernandez Montoya family, and the fervour of flamenco that has been passed down from grandfather, to father and mother, to sons.
Following in the footsteps of their parents and grandfather, Juan Manuel Fernandez Montoya (Farruquito) and Antonio Fernandez Montoya (Farruco), are two of the foremost flamenco dancers in the world today.
Their father was the respected flamenco singer Juan Fernández Flores (El Moreno) and their mother, Rosario Montoya Manzano, was a flamenco dancer (La Farruca). Their grandfather was considered the greatest flamenco dancer (El Farruco), and, in an attempt to keep the magic alive, they base their performances on improvisation.
Farruquito was only five when he made his debut on Broadway, in Flamenco Puro, a show where most legendary flamenco artists, including his family, took part. Farruco made his debut on the international stage at the age of two in Berlin, and appeared in his first film, Bodas de Gloria, when six, under the direction of his grandfather.
Farruquito had been performing all his life, when at 15 he assumed the patriarchal position in his family after his grandfather died. He had already proved that he was ready for more responsibility; at just eight, he presented his first season at the Zambra auditorium, at 11 he was in the video Camaron Nuestro and the next year he acted with his grandfather in Flamenco, a film by Carlos Saura. He had performed in and created many other shows with his family as well, including choreography for the show Bodas de Gloria and dancing at Expo’92 in Seville. He became a child prodigy, flamenco was his way of life.
When his grandfather died, Farruquito began to create his own shows. His first was ‘Raíces flamencas’ (Flamenco Roots), a global success. He began to form his own personal style and became recognised as an extraordinary artist in his own right.
More recently, he presented La Len Varo in the first Flamenco Festival in the USA. He performed in New York and Boston and was soon named “the best artist that has set foot in the Big Apple in 2001” by the New York Times.
He has also won over audiences at the Flamenco Festival in Madrid, in the Villamarta Theatre in Jerez, and in his hometown, Seville, at the Central Theatre. In his latest show, ‘Alma Vieja’, he was accompanied by a host of flamenco artists, including his family, in a tribute to the dynasty of artists started by El Farruco.
And if all that’s not enough, Farruquito has also been chosen as ‘One of the Most Beautiful People in the World’ by the American magazine People.
Meanwhile, his younger brother Antonio Fernandez Montoya has adopted his grandfather’s stage name, Farruco. Like his older brother, Farruco has begun to create his own image, establishing himself as one of the most talented young artists in the world due to his sophistication and grace.
Flamenco is bound to touch its Cypriot audiences deeply with its passionate and intense movement and feeling. Critics from the New York Times have described Farruquito as “an obvious draw amongst other artists… It enhances his inherent nobility with a new elegance into which he pours his typical power and precision”.
Alberto Garcia Reyes from ABC said “in dance there are two worlds: the mortal’s one and the Farruco’s one. That’s all… Farruquito was pure rage, pure improvisation, pure craziness… He always dances like that.”
For a chance to enjoy the work of two of the most acclaimed Flamenco dancers in the world, come to the Rialto Theatre on January 22.
‘Farruquito y Farruco’
The Roots of Flamenco with Juan Manuel Fernandez Montoya and Antonio Fernandez Montoya. Accompanying them are musicians Roman Vicenti and El Perla, and singers Antonio Villar, El Canastero and Maria Vizarraga. Rialto Theatre, 19 Andrea Drousioti, Platia Iroon, 3603, Limassol. January 22. 8.30pm. Tickets £12-15. Tel: 25-343900.
