The members of Fin de Fiesta found themselves compelled to follow flamenco.
The music and dance troupe, which stops in Nanaimo next week, has a love for the art form that cannot be disputed. Members, including dancer Lia Grainger, gave up their day jobs in order to pursue flamenco, she said, speaking to the News Bulletin this week from Spain.
“We all kind of left our regular lives in Canada several years ago to come and live in Seville,” she said. “There’s a huge community of people here teaching and studying flamenco and performing.”
Fin de Fiesta Flamenco consists of a dancer, a vocalist, guitar player, flautist and a percussionist who plays the cajón. Grainger said the guitarist plays intricate patterns and rhythms and the singer performs intense vocals ranging from mourning to joyful.
She said a lot of people have only some idea of what flamenco is.
“They think of ruffled skirts and polka dots and flowers in the hair and it being this sort of really sultry, sexy dance,” she said. “But I think often when they come they’re surprised at the sort of technical skill, and the intensity of it.”
The name of Fin de Fiesta’s summer and fall tour is Liándola, which according to a press release is an Andalusian figure of speech describing boisterously unrestrained behaviour.
“We’re really engaged and it’s a very emotional, exciting performance,” Grainger said.
Dennis Duffin is the music director and guitarist, Alejandro Mendia is the vocalist, Lara Wong plays flute and David Sampaulo handles rhythm.
Fin de Fiesta performs Thursday (Aug. 3) at 8 p.m. at the Harbour City Theatre. Tickets will be $25 at the door, or $22 in advance at Fascinating Rhythm or www.findefiestaflamenco.com.