Singer
Ismael Fernández
Ismael has been tapped by the pop-icon Madonna to choreograph the worldwide “Rebel Heart Tour ” 2015-2016 Most recently, choreograph the Ricky Martin Las Vegas Residency concert 2017, sample of his voice are featured in concert.
Described by The Washington Post as the “most charismatic performer” and a “connection to the Gypsy source”, Ismael Fernández was born in Seville, of Gypsy descent, grew up performing in flamenco festivals throughout the world with his internationally renowned family, “La Familia Fernández”.
Throughout his career, Ismael has worked with flamenco legends such as Antonio Canales, Farruquito, Marina Heredia, El Torombo, the prestigious Orchestra director Gustavo Dudamel and Rafaela Carrasco to name a few.
He currently resides in New York, where he moved in 2014 together with the flamenco dancer Sonia Olla, her partner on and off the stage. Since then, he combines the Cante classes with performance at internationally acclaimed venues such as The Joyce Theatre (NY), New York City Center, The Kennedy Center (Washington DC), Carnegie Hall (NY), Walt Disney Concert Hall (LA).
Ismael has created a large number of shows together with Sonia, such as Tablao Sevilla, Entretiempo, Tiempo Al Aire and Por los Caminos. He has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post and The New Yorker, as well as Spanish newspapers such as ABC, El País, La Vanguardia.
Most recently, Ismael worked with pop-icon Madonna in preparation for her upcoming “Rebel Heart Tour” – 2015-2016: samples of his voice are featured during “La Isla Bonita”.
Dancer
Sonia Olla
Sonia has been tapped by the pop-icon Madonna to choreograph the worldwide “Rebel Heart Tour ” 2015-2016 Most recently, choreograph the Ricky Martin Las Vegas Residency concert 2017.
Hailed by The New York Times as “a furnace of earthy sensuality”, Sonia Olla has toured as company member and soloist with flamenco greats such as Antonio Canales, Eva la Yerbabuena, Rafaela Carrasco, Merche Esmeralda, María Pagés, La Farruca, among others.
Bailaora of international prestige, director and choreographer of her own shows, Sonia currently resides in New York, where she combines the dance classes with performance in outstanding venues such as The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Le Poisson Rouge, the Rose Nagelburg Theatre, Baruch Performing Arts Center (NY) and Instituto Cervantes (Chicago), to name but a few.
Together with the Flamenco singer Ismael Fernández, her partner on and off the stage, Sonia has created a wide range of shows such as Tablao Sevilla, Entretiempo, Por Los Caminos and Tiempo al Aire. She has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post and The New Yorker, as well as Spanish newspapers such as ABC, El País, La Vanguardia.
Most recently, Sonia has been tapped by the pop-icon Madonna to choreograph the worldwide “Rebel Heart Tour” 2015-2016.
Singer
Ismael de la Rosa “El Bola”
A native of Seville, Ismael de la Rosa is part of a long lineage of famous flamenco gypsies known as the “Familia Fernández.” Ismael began his professional career at only 7 years old, debuting with his family at the Festival de Biarritz. He then performed at the acclaimed “Homenaje de Bernarda de Utrera,” at the Teatro Maestranza in Seville, Spain. He continued his career touring Osaka, Nagoya, and Tokio, Japan, with his father, and at 8 years old, Ismael performed as part of the prestigious Bienal de Sevilla, at the teatro Maestranza. Soon thereafter, Ismael sang for world-famous flamenco dancer, Maria Pages, in her production “Canciones antes de una Guerra,” at the Teatro Villa Marta in Jerez.
Ismael has shared the stage with many different flamenco artists, such as Capullo de Jerez, José Valencia, and Juana Amaya, El Güito, Esperanza Fernández, David Dorantes, Miguel Angel Cortes, Pastora Galvan, Bernardo Parrilla, Paco Iglesias, Paco Fernández, Jose Anillo, Juan José Amador (Senior), Manuela Ríos,
José Galván, Pedro Cordoba, Jesus Carmona, Nino de los Reyes, Ramón Porrina, El Farru, El Carpeta La Farruca, Alfonso Losa, and many more. He has been featured in productions of Marco Flores and Olga Pericet, Guadalupe Torres and Sonia Olla and Ismael Fernández.
In addition to accompanying dance, Ismael composes his own works and continues to develop his talent at various flamenco “Tablaos,” such as El Villa Rosa, Las Carboneras, Corral de la Morería and Casa Patas of Madrid, and Los Gallos, El Arenal, Museo del Flamenco and Peña Torres Macarena of Seville.
Guitar
Yerai Cortés
Yerai Cortes was born in 1995 in Alicante land. His passion for flamenco comes from his family, from his father, Miguel, who taught him to play the guitar and from his mother, Maria, who imparted in him the passion for the flamenco music.
Currently resides in Madrid where he began his career working in some of the most important Flamenco Tablaos in the city such as: Las Carboneras, Villa Rosa, Casa Patas, Corral de la Moreria, among others. He has performed in theatres such as Teatro de Bellas Artes (Madrid), Teatro Coliseum (Barcelona), Teatro Lope de Vega (Seville), to name a few.
Throughout his career, Yerai has performed with great flamenco artists, such as La negra, La tana, Richard Bona, Marco Flores, Alfonso Losa, Manuel Liñan, Las hermanas Bautista, Chuchito Valdés and Javier Colina, among others. He is also a music composer and performer of the project Juan Debel & Yerai Cortés.
Piano
Chano Dominguez
Chano Domínguez is one of the most celebrated of jazz pianists and composers. His singular work is defined by his flamenco origins.
In more than 40 years of his career, he has dazzled all kinds of audiences, including other musicians spanning both worlds of jazz and flamenco. His interpretive talents are highly sought after for his authentic integration of both jazz and flamenco traditions, working with an extensive range of colleagues such as Paco de Lucía, Enrique Morente, Jorge Pardo, Carles Benavent, Martirio, Wynton Marsalis, Paquito d’Rivera, Jack DeJohnette, Herbie Hancock, Jerry Gonzalez, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Michel Camino, Chucho Valdés, Joe Lovano, and George Mraz, among others.
Chano has achieved an unusual integration between the rhythms and languages of jazz and flamenco, creating a unique style that places him among the top musicians practicing this artform. Internationally acclaimed, he has influenced and changed the history of flamenco-jazz.
His music has been played by many different ensembles and orchestras such as the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, WDR Cologne Big Band, Orquesta Nacional de España, Orquesta Nacional de Latvia, Orquesta de Cámara del Vallés, and the Orquesta Nacional de Costa Rica.
In 2016 he’s been nominated for his fourth Grammy, this one a Latin Grammy for his latest release “Bendito”. This recording features Chano as producer, composer and pianist with his preferred ‘cantaor’ (flamenco singer) Blas Cordoba aka “El Kejio”.
Chano is currently living in New York. He will have a new solo release coming out in January 2017 on Sunnyside Records. Chano is also a seasoned educator, available for master classes, workshops and residencies. He has previously taught at Taller de Músics in Barcelona, The Music Conservatory of Bogotá, the Julliard School in New York and at the School of Music at the University of Washington.
Percussion
Jose Manuel Ruiz Motos, “Bandolero”
Mr. Ruiz Motos began his career as a flamenco percussionist in Madrid in 1976. From a young age, he accompanied figures in dance like Antonio Canales, Joaquín Cortés, Joaquín Grilo, Javier Barón, Manuela Vargas, Merche Esmeralda, Sara Baras, Farruka and Jose Maya. He formed a company with Joaquín Cortés, going on tour and performing shows in some of the best venues around the world, including: Radio City Music Hall in New York, Royal Albert Hall in London and the Sydney Opera House. He regularly played with iconic artists like Enrique Morente, Tomatito, Vicente Amigo, Pepe Habichuela, Enrique de Melchor, Estrella Morente, Diego el Cigala and Montse Cortés amongst many others. Along with Ramón Porrinas, he is the founder of Echegaray, the first group that published the CD Calle Echegaray in 2002. Throughout his career, he collaborated with musicians who work in other styles such as Antonio Serrano, Chano Domínguez, Jorge Pardo, Tino di Geraldo, Javier Colina, Larry Coryell, Carles Benavent, Rubem Dantas, Dave Holand, Pat Metheney, La Barbería del Sur, Ketama and Ñiña Pastori. He has also worked on recordings with Enrique Morente in Omega, Lorca Pequeño Reloj, Sueña la Alhambra and more in his last studio work, Pablo de Málaga was his production assistant. With Jorge Pardo and Pepe Habichuela in the show (Flamenco Universal) they performed various concerts in 2015. Mr. Ruiz Moto also collaborates regularly with musical producer Javier Limón, and he has also participated in the Gala de los Permios de la Música on various occasions and is on several recordings. With Jorge Pardo, he was declared the Best Jazz Musician in Europe in 2013. He has toured in various countries throughout Europe and Central America with Mr. Pardo as well. This year, he recorded a disc trio along with Javier Colina and Josemi Carmona, with whom he shares various projects. In 2016, he toured alongside Toumani Diabate Juan and Josemi Carmona with the project Songhai. Their tour visited different sites in Europe and Africa. Recently, he went on tour to the United States, specifically to New York City, with Josemi Carmona and Javier Colina with the project that is very close to and adds to the spectacle of Sonia Olla.
Dancer
Pol Vaquero
Pol Vaquero was born in Cordoba, Spain and began his formal studies at the Royal Conservatory of Cordoba. He was trained in different styles of dance such as classical dance, contemporary, Española and flamenco. His professional performance begin in 1996, he was performing at the Antonio Canales Company as the titular role of the bull in “Torero”. In 1998 he began performing with National Ballet of Spain as a soloist. The following year Mr. Vaquero went on an extensive tour with the Vicente Amigo Company. The tour went to various regions around the world, including Japan, Portugal, Israel and Spain. In 2000 Mr. Vaquero joined the Juaquin Grilo Company, later rejoining the Antonio Canales company from 2001 through 2003 to perform as soloist once again. Following his time at the Antonio Canales company, from 2004 to 2006, he was went back to National Ballet of Spain as a soloist and first dancer under the direction of Jose Antonio. By 2007 Mr. Vaquero had created his own show in Barcelona called “Antojo.” The show is a part of the “Young Project XXI Century” and was performed at the prestigious tablao “El Cordobes” with Amador Rojas, Rocio Molina, and Monica Fernandez as performers. Mr. Vaquero were invited to be part of the Brazilian dance company “Arrieritos” for a new production project. He toured in cities around Brazil through 2008. Mr. Vaquero taught master classes and courses throughout the world, in places such as New York, Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo and among other countries. Mr. Vaquero has participated in different areas of media, including, television programs and music awards shows under the direction of “Marco Berriel.” He also collaborated on the video clip “Corazon Partio” with Aljandro Sanz. He was invited from one of the most important Spanish fashion designers, Francis Montesinos. He collaborated with Daniel Navarro and music by Vicente Amigo to released on June 20, 2009. In 2010 the show “Cayetana su Passion” premiered and MR. Vaquero was featured as bith a choreographer and as soloist. He toured throughout the Spain with the show. He also participated as a guest artist with Pedro Ojest, a concert pianist. From 2011 though 2014 Mr. Vaquero continued to work as a guest artist in different companies and with his own company. Collaborations he has participated in include Titanium Company, “Rojas y Rodriguez”, “El Arte pore Delante” with Anguel Rojas, La Lupi and Antoni Canales. Mr. Vaquero is currently a teacher at the Flamenco University “Uflamenco” in Madrid.