Miami Cante Festival Showcases Guitar, Dance and the Role of the Singer

Paco Fonta is a guitarist and co-founder of “Siempre Flamenco” and the Miami Cante Festival, which begins Thursday, Aug. 22 and continues through Sunday, Aug. 25 at the Adrienne Arsht Center. (Photo by Dan Pérez/courtesy of Festival de Cante Miami 2024).

Generally, when discussing flamenco, we associate it with the magical influence of dance and the guitar. However, another component called cante (a Flamenco term for singing) has a life of its own, and due to its value, it deserves the same attention.

The cante, a unique dialogue between guitar, dance, and the soul of the singer (a cante singer is called cantaor or cantaora), will be a captivating experience at the 18th Miami Cante Festival, which will be held from Thursday, Aug. 22, to Sunday, Aug. 25, at the Carnival Studio Theater of the Ziff Ballet Opera House of the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts.

This 18th edition will show once again the fruit of the tireless work of Celia and Paco Fonta. Two recognized Miamian luminaries of dance, cante, and guitar and founders in 2002 of the non-profit organization Siempre Flamenco, whose mission it is to preserve this art whose roots take us back to the Moorish, Gypsy, and Jewish traditions.

Since 2006, the Miami Cante Festival has been an emblematic project of the Fontas.

Celia Fonta, bailaora extraordinaire. (Photo by Jenny Abreu/courtesy of Festival de Cante Miami 2024).

“The idea of organizing the first cante event in Miami arose during the trips that my husband Paco and I made every summer to several towns and cities in Spain, specifically in Andalusia, to see the flamenco festivals,” says Celia Fonta.

“We had already been in Miami for some time,” recalls the bailaora extraordinaire. A Flamenco dancer is called bailaor or bailaora. “(We) working in tableaus with Spanish artists based here, with excellent dance and guitar performances, but not cante, so we decided to open that door to the public, which has enjoyed and still enjoys great acceptance.”

The Festival’s continuity has served the Fontas as a guide and orientation so that new and well-known artists participate each year.

Celia explains that they have organized the festival in a “pattern that consists of inviting three singers, one or two guitarists, and a dancer who is participating for the first time. In addition, experience tells us that we must also have a selection of artists who have come to other editions of the festival, who the public knows, and who are part of this family. Because this event is really done as a family.”

This year’s Festival (which could have been the nineteenth edition, but the event had to be interrupted for a year due to the pandemic) has as guests young figures who, although they are making their debut in cante, have entered through the so-called ‘big door’ and already enjoy recognition and prestige.

The cantaor Samuel Serrano. Photo by Lorenzo Carnero/courtesy of Festival de Cante Miami 2024).

“We will have Samuel Serrano, a cantaor from Chipiona, Spain, who is hitting very hard and participates in all the festivals of the flamenco community. He has a very pure voice, very authentically gypsy,” says Celia. “We also have the bailaor, José Jiménez, from Madrid (also known as ‘El Bocadillo’), son of the cantaor of the same name, now deceased. He is an exceptional bailaor from a family of cantaores and bailaores.”

The talented performers are joined by other renowned figures such as Macarena de Jerez, a cantaora born in the cradle of flamenco; the young cantaor from Cádiz José Campos, son of Morenito de Illora; and the exceptional guitarist José Cortés (Pansequito), son of the cantaor “Pansequito del Puerto” and one of the most prestigious today.

Among the new features of this year’s edition will be the special presentation titled “Canta la Guitarra” (“Sings the Guitar”), which will pay tribute to the instrument of so much tradition and vitality that gives meaning and emotion to flamenco singing and dancing.

The guitarist José Cortés (Pansequito). (Photo by Zizi Zabaneh/courtesy of Festival de Cante Miami 2024).

“The tribute to the guitar is going to be a special event. Some guitarists sing when we are at parties. Still, others never sing,” highlights the eminent guitarist Paco Fonta, who has had an extensive career and dedication to that instrument. “But in this presentation, we will have three guitarists who also sing: Paco Cepero; “Pansequito,” with whom I have worked for many years; and myself,” he says.

He adds that Cepero is the composer of “Esta cobardía” and other songs performed by Julio Iglesias, Rocío Jurado, and other artists.

“(Cepero) is my idol and a true legend who has accompanied what is most valuable and shining in flamenco. I want to clarify that it will not be a formal concert but a complement to the Cante Festival. We will perform in a quite experimental and spontaneous way,” he promises.

At 82 years old, Cepero is a true representative of flamenco, according to Celia.  “(He) will give our festival a historic character due to his importance as an artist, mentor, and guide to so many cultivators of the genre,” she says, adding that “the Festival’s evolution, from its humble beginnings with local artists to an event that now attracts the most prestigious figures in Spain, is a testament to the growing support for flamenco in Miami. This cultural growth has allowed us to reach where we are now.”

WHAT: XVIII Miami Cante Festival

WHERE: Ziff Ballet Opera House’s Carnival Studio Theater at the Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd., Miami

WHEN: 8 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 22, “Canta la Guitarra” concert, 8 p.m., Friday, Aug. 23, Cante Festival, 2 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 24, and 4 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 25.

COST: $50, $68 for VIP,  $40 and $50 for “Canta la Guitarra.”

INFORMATION: 305-949-6722 or  arshtcenter.org/tickets   and 305-527-5666 or siempreflamenco.com.

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