Flamenco Legends by Javier Limón: The Paco de Lucía Project Saturday, October 21, 2017 at 8:00pm

This is the 763rd concert in Koerner Hall

Piraña, percussion

Antonio Serrano, harmonica

Antonio Sánchez, guitar

Alain Pérez, bass

David de Jacoba, vocals

Farru, dancer

Created by 10-time Latin Grammy Award winner Javier Limón, The Paco de Lucía Project reassembles the original

band that toured with the legendary flamenco guitarist for the last 10 years of his career. A longtime collaborator and

producer of Paco de Lucía, Limón brings the secrets of flamenco at the highest level to create an experience that

honours the legacy of de Lucía while paving a new path into the future of flamenco.

Paco de Lucía was widely considered to be the world’s premier flamenco guitarist and by many to be

Spain’s greatest musical export. He has had a revolutionary influence on flamenco music both as a composer and

otherwise. His influence on flamenco guitar has been compared with that of Andrés Segovia’s on classical guitar.

Throughout his 50-year career, he performed and recorded with musical legends such as Eric Clapton, Chick Corea,

Carlos Santana, and Al Di Meola, among many others.

Known as “El Piraña,” Israel Suárez Escobar is one of the most renowned cajón players in the flamenco world. The

son of Ramon “El Portugués,” he began his career by joining Nina Pastori’s group. He was a member of Paco de

Lucía’s band for more than 10 years and has since collaborated with many renowned artists such as Sara Baras,

Tomatito, Vicente Amigo, Giovanni Hidalgo, Horacio El Negro, Ketama, Antonio Carmona, Rosario Flores, Chano

Domínguez, Jerry Gonzáles, Wynton Marsalis, Montse Cortes, Joaquín Cortés, Concha Buika, Ricky Martin,

Alejandro Fernández, Lenny Kravitz, Jorge Pardo, Pack, Mariza, Pepe de Lucía, Antonio Canales, Enrique Morente,

Estrella Morente, Diego el Cigala, Duquende, Arcángel, Paquito de Rivera, El Barrio, Paquito D’Rivera, and Luz

Casal.

Antonio Serrano started learning the harmonica (his main instrument) from his father from his father at the age of

seven. He developed a technique on the chromatic harmonica that has allowed him to play in many different

contexts, dominating all styles of music from classical to jazz, blues, tango, and flamenco, and he was soon

approached by Paco de Lucía to perform with him. He continued to tour the world with the living legend while

pursuing a solo career and performing with such artists as Larry Adler, Toots Thielemans, Wynton Marsalis, Jerry

González, Chano Dominguez, Lou Bennett, Jorge Pardo, Vicente Amigo, Tomatito, Armando Manzanero, Luis

Salinas, Javier Colina, and many more.

Antonio Sánchez was exposed to the flamenco guitar at a very young age with his uncles Paco de Lucía and

Ramón de Algeciras, as well as his cousin J.M. Bandera, and he studied with Juan Manuel Cañizares. His career as

a guitar player began playing at Tablaos of Madrid and continued with the flamenco Ballet of Antonio Marquez. He

has worked in Japan for six months with Domingo Ortega at the Tablao Flamenco of Tokyo. He also worked at

Tablao Cordobes of Barcelona, considered the most important tablao in the world, sharing the stage with great artists

such as La Tana, Maria Bizárraga, Oscar de los Reyes, Pol Vaquero, and Luis de Luis, among others.

Cuban-born Alain Pérez Rodríguez started music at the age of eight as a vocalist and later entered the Manuel

Saumell Conservatory, where he studied classical guitar and piano. He later studied at the ENA National School of

Arts, where he joined the prestigious Latin jazz group Irakere. In 1998, he recorded the Belebele En La Havana

album with Chucho Valdéz, which was nominated for a Grammy Award. His other recordings are The First Night, El

Desafío, and Cositas Buenas with Paco de Lucía, and his collaborators include Enrique Morente, Diego el Cigala,

Celia Cruz, Paquito D’Rivera, Chick Corea, Wynton Marsalis, Giovanni Hidalgo, and many others.

David de Jacoba, considered one of the most important emerging flamenco artist in the world today, was chosen by

Paco de Lucía to accompany him during the last four years of his touring career. He also worked with Enrique

Morente, Joaquín Cortés, Tomatito, Sara Baras, Niño Josele, Duquende, and many others. His album Jubileo,

produced by Lucky Losada and Carlos de Jacoba, included collaborations with Pepe Habichuela, Vicente Amigo,

Raimundo Amador, Alain Pérez, Lucky Losada, Juan Antonio Salazar, Jesús de Rosario, Tomatito, Vaky and Ivan

Losada, Carlos de Jacoba, and Yoni Jiménez. It was nominated for the Best Album by an Upcoming Singer in the

Flamenco Hoy Awards.

Antonio Fernández Montoya “Farru” is the brother of the notable dancer Farruquito and grandson of Farruco. He

made his debut in Berlin at only two years of age and his film debut at six, in the movie Bodas de Gloria, directed by

his grandfather. In 1988, he founded his own company named Los gnomos del flamenco, with whom he performed in

numerous festivals in Spain and across Europe. Despite his young age, he has distinguished himself as a unique

dancer of great strength, poise, and beauty, which accompany his unparalleled technique and footwork, and he has

earned a special place in his brother’s productions. In 2010, he toured with the legendary guitarist Paco de Lucía,

performing over 100 shows worldwide.

“El Piraña” Israel Suárez Escobar made his Royal Conservatory debut on October 28, 2016. All of the other artists

are making their Conservatory debuts tonight.