Flamenco Performances
Held at Wisma Kebudayaan SGM

On October 7 and 8, 2011, two flamenco performances entitled "Tablas Flamencas – a Journey through Flamenco" were held at Wisma Kebudayaan SGM, taking the audience on an intimate journey through different flamenco styles. Known as "palos" in Spanish, the shows were guided by a singer, two dancers and a guitarist. More than merely underlining the fact that flamenco is an evolving and dynamic art form, they showed that flamenco was sound, movement, music and life. Performing the flamenco takes nothing short of body, soul and heart.

A joint effort of the Embassy of Spain and Soka Gakkai Malaysia with the support of Melia Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, the performers were brought in from Spain through the efforts of HE Ms María Bassols Delgado, Ambassador of Spain. In attendance were various dignitaries, including the ambassadors of several countries such as Russia, Argentina and Turkey.

The art form, declared by UNESCO on November 16, 2010, as one of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity, was brought to life in 2003, when dancer Marisol Navarro opened a new flamenco establishment in Madrid where flamenco shows were performed nightly. Since then, she has taken flamenco to new heights in her numerous artistic tours abroad. Flamenco has also developed into many styles to include influences from tango, rumba, jazz, rock and Arabic dances.

Marisol Navarro, together with singer David Vázquez, dancer Jonatan Miró and guitarist Fernando de la Rua, performed with shawls or fan, exuding pride and intense emotions. Through expressive use of the arms, rhythmic stamping of the feet, clapping of hands and lightning-fast footwork, they conveyed the "flame" of flamenco – "flama" means flame in Spanish – and engrossed the audience with their fervour and deep passion, filling the evenings with unforgettable memories. The performances received standing ovations from the enthusiastic audience.