Oliver Rajamani Flamenco India Film Screening and Performance
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA CONTACT:
Sheree Scarborough
(512) 922-5483, sheree.scarborough@gmail.com
OLIVER RAJAMANI FLAMENCO INDIA FILM SCREENING AND PERFORMANCE
Texas Folklife’s House Concert Series: Roots Music in an Intimate Setting
Austin, Texas – April 18, 2018 – Texas Folklife’s intimate music series featuring roots music and emphasizing the non-profit’s mission to present the state’s traditional arts and culture continues this spring with a film screening and concert. The documentary film Flamenco India will be shown and a performance with the filmmaker, musician and composer Oliver Rajamani and musicians from the ensemble Flamenco India All Stars will follow on Thursday, May 3, at the Texas Folklife Gallery—1708 Houston Street, Austin, Texas—from 7:00-9:00 p.m.
Flamenco India is an innovative musical journey into the deep and historical Indian roots of Spain’s Gypsy flamenco created and guided by award-winning Austin-based artist Oliver Rajamani. The Flamenco India All Stars music ensemble includes celebrated international artists Ismail Khan, Sakoor Khan, Bandu Khan Langa, Hanif Khan Langa, and Daniel Caballero Perez. This film screening and performance is part of a statewide tour by Rajamani and the Flamenco India All Stars, supported in part by Texas Folklife.
The film incorporates the history of how flamenco and Roma culture influenced the Americas, especially Mexico and Texas. Flamenco India charts the cultural history of Texas and the people who settled here, featuring interviews with a variety of scholars and artists. The film also brings focus to the World Romani Center, located in Austin, the world's largest historical Romani archives. Rajamani is one of the very few artists in the world who has been shedding light on the Indian roots of Spain's Gypsy flamenco music and dance before it became a commonly recognized concept.
Rajamani enhances the Indian roots to the flamenco experience by adding new Indian rhythmic, melodic and dance concepts not found in traditional flamenco. The film takes his audiences back to the original ancient roots of Roma/Gypsy genetics and music, which begins in the ancient lands of Southern India, then migrating to Rajasthan and Spain.This project is a culturally unique endeavor depicting the journey of the Romani people from India to Spain in music and dance.
The House Concert series is an intimate experience. The event is free for members (members contact Texas Folklife for access code) and $10 for non-members. A limited number of tickets are available at:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/oliver-rajamani-flamenco-india-film-screening-performance-tickets-44152191393
To become a member or renew your membership, go to: http://texasfolklife.org/info/membership.Proceeds will benefit the artists and Texas Folklife’s statewide public programs. Beer and and wine will be available for a donation.
Parking for the event is available in Texas Folklife's gravel driveway, on the street immediately in front of the building, and Asterra Properties (located next door). Overflow parking is available at Recycled Reads (5335 Burnet Rd). Please use the spaces in the back or on the South side of the Recycled Reads building.
“We are thrilled to be able to share Flamenco India film and music with the Austin community,” said Executive Director Charlie Lockwood. “This multi-year music and film project by Rajamani shows an important link between Roma culture and the cultural history of Texas. The music is complex, unique, and arrestingly beautiful. As a gift to our members, the show is free! If you aren’t yet a member, please join our community and support our mission to celebrate our state’s rich diversity of folk and traditional arts.”
This program is made possible in part by support from the board and members of Texas Folklife, the Texas Commission on the Arts with an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, which believes that a great nation deserves great art, and the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin Economic Development Department.
More information is available on Texas Folklife’s website:
http://texasfolklife.org/event/oliver-rajamani-flamenco-india-film-screening-performance
Learn more about Oliver Rajamani and Flamenco India:
http://www.oliverrajamani.com/flamencoindia.html
About Texas Folklife
Texas Folklife is a statewide non-profit organization dedicated to presenting and preserving the diverse cultures and living heritage of the Lone Star State. Since 1984, Texas Folklife has honored the cultural traditions passed down within communities, explored their importance in contemporary society, and celebrated them by providing accessible and joyful arts experiences.
Texas Folklife Gallery
1708 Houston St.
Austin, Texas 78756
T (512) 441-9255
F (844) 386-2091
Media information: Sheree Scarborough (512) 922-5483 / sheree.scarborough@gmail.com
