Jazzolea - Jazz Flamenco Band - Jazz Band | Spain

Description

Jazzolea is a Jazz, Flamenco and Dance Ensemble (piano, keyboards, flamenco guitar, bass, drums and percussion, voice) from Seville. Drawing on two very distinct cultural expressions, Jazzolea captures the mysterious melodies, rhythms and dances of flamenco and channels them through the ever changing, ever exciting music phenomenon we know as jazz. Choreographies, whilst maintaining the form and rhythms of flamenco dance, are twisted and turned to respond to the spirit and swing of jazz.
Esther Weekes-voice & dancer
Cristian de Moret-piano & voice
Pablo Prada- flamenco guitar & bass
Davi ... d "Chupete"-drums & percussion
Jazzoleá is a Jazz, Flamenco and Dance Ensemble from Seville.
Drawing on two very distinct cultural expressions, Jazzoleá captures the mysterious melodies, rhythms and dances of flamenco and channels them through the ever changing, ever exciting music phenomenon we know as jazz. Original pieces and standards, combine to create a repertorio which bridges the gap between the old, the new, the contemporary and the traditional. Choreographies, whilst maintaining the form and rhythms of flamenco dance, are twisted and turned to respond to the spirit and swing of jazz.
The cosmopolitan group is made up of artists from both Spain and England. London born Esther Weekes, both jazz singer and flamenco dancer, has trained as a flamenco dancer in Spain over 12 years in Madrid, Granada and Seville. She has ample experience performing within flamenco, jazz and blues festivals throughout Andalusia.
Cristian de Moret, up and coming figure within the flamenco world is both a flamenco and jazz pianist as well as a flamenco singer. He has won prizes for his work as both composer and singer within the flamenco world and he is the former pianist for The Andalusian Flamenco Ballet.
Pablo Pradas, flamenco guitarist and bass player, provides the flamenco based essence of Jazzoleá. His wide experience drawn from his international work within different flamenco companies allows the group to explore new territories whilst maintaining an anchor within the traditional deep roots of flamenco.
David “Chupete” is a world class percussionist and drummer. Though steeped in the traditional form of flamenco (former percussionist for The Andalusian Flamenco Ballet), he is also involved within the world of Baroque music. Through David, the unparalleled complexity of flamenco rhythm is an ever present support accompanying Jazzoleá on its journey through the amazing worlds of flamenco, jazz and blues.
Jazzoleá has performed within jazz and flamenco festivals and theatres throughout Southern Spain. Recent festivals include “Fusión Contemporánea”, “Feria de las Naciones”, “Sherry Jazz Festival of Jerez de la frontera” and “Jazz Flamenco Festival of Ronda”. They have also performed regularly at the Museum of Flamenco Dance and given performance lectures on the connection between flamenco and jazz within University of Pablo Olavide.
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Biography

ESTHER WEEKES – FLAMENCO DANCER AND JAZZ SINGER
Born in London, Esther is as much involved in the world of music as in the world of dance. Both a singer-songwriter and a flamenco dancer, she has studied and performed in Spain for the last 11 years. Esther currently resides in Seville.
As a jazz and blues singer, Esther has taken part in a wide range of concerts and festivals in Spain, such as the “Festival de Blues de San Fernando”, the “Festival de Blues en Antequera”, the “Festival de Blues en Granada” and the “Festival de Blues de la Alpujarra” in Bustaquista, to name a ... few.
She has collaborated with noted artists such as Raimundo Amador and Lolo Ortega. She was the principal singer in the Puretones Blues band, the Lolo Ortega Blues Band and the Esther Weekes Trio and resident singer and flamenco dancer for the flamenco fusion band El Nombre. She has also sang jazz for the noted flamenco dancers
Andrés Peña and Pilar Ogalla in Jerez Flamenco Festival 2012 in Villamarta Theatre and Muestra Flamenco 2013 in Teatro Central.
Esther has studied flamenco dance for 11 years in Madrid, Granada and Seville under the guidance of “Maestros” such as the late, great Mario Maya, Eva Yerbabuena, Farruquito, Manuel Betanzos, Cristobal Reyes, La Tati, Belen Fernandez, Andrés Peña, Juan de Los Reyes, Adela Campallo amongst others.
Possessing the unique capacity to both sing jazz and dance flamenco, Esther is a pioneer in the jazz- flamenco movement. In this capacity she has performed in various festivals in Spain such as the “Festival Internacional de Flamenco” in Sanlucar de Barrameda, the “Congreso Nacional de Sociólogos y Politicologos” in Carmona”, the “Festival de blues de Antequera”, the festival “Fusión Contemporanea” in Huelva and the “Festival de Sherry” in Jerez”. Each year she has top billing in the “Festival de Las Naciones”. Esther has also had the honour of participating in “La Bienal de Flamenco de Sevilla 2010 y 2012” one of the leading flamenco festivals in the world.
She was singer and dancer with the flamenco fusion group “El Nombre” and with the jazz-flamenco trio, “Yacara”, she has performed in festivals and concert halls around Andalusia including the noted Teatro Quintero.
Esther ́s latest project is with “Jazzoleá”. In this flamenco and jazz ensemble she performs in festivals around Andalusia and regularly at the “Museo del Baile Flamenco” in Seville, the only museum in the world dedicated to the flamenco dance form.

PABLO PRADA – FLAMENCO GUITARIST AND BASS GUITARIST
Born in Seville in 1977 into a flamenco family, Pablo ́s guitar studies began at the tender age of 10 when he would accompany his father, Jose Parrondo, a Cantaor (flamenco singer), as a guitarist. He would also work as a guitar accompanist with other noted singers such as Juan Calero Moya and Quiqui of Castiblanco.
As his interest in music evolved and expanded, he began to develop a taste for “electric sounds”. This lead to his pursuing a parallel career as a studio session musician working with artists such as Matt Bianco, Marismeños, Maria jimenez, Martyr, Jarcha, Hispalis Choir and many more.
Pablo also has a wide variety of experience as a flamenco dance accompanist touring with companies such as the Maria Serrano Flamenco Company, Puerto Flamenco and the company of Antonio Andrade y Ursula Moreno.
Recent work has positioned Pablo as an integral part of the Trassierra Project, an experimental flamenco trio. Accompanying Eduardo Trassierra and Andrei Vjicic,
he tours in jazz festivals such as the Pittsburg, Amberes or Mont de Marsan festivals.
His latest project with Esther Weekes, Cristian de Moret and David”Chupete”, Jazzolea, is a project which fuses traditional flamenco with jazz, creating new and innovative atmospheres. The group organically incorporates these elements in a manner which “allows his music to transform into something both sensual and shocking” Pablo Prada (2013).
CRISTIAN DE MORET – PIANIST AND FLAMENCO SINGER
Born into a traditional flamenco family in Huelva, his Father a guitarist and Mother a Cantaora (flamenco singer), Cristian started to show an interest in music at the very tender age of two when he began playing simple melodies, helped by his father, on the old piano at home. At the age of six this interested suddenly expanded to include an aptitude for singing as well when he accumulated a repertoire of sevillanas (traditional songs of Seville) from the film by Carlos Saura “Sevillanas”.
At the age of seven, Cristian took to the stage for the first time to play fandangos and flamenco at a benefit in Huelva accompanied on guitar by his father. During the following years he began winning all the junior singing competitions in his province and started performing in festivals at the age of nine, sharing the stage with artists such as José de la Tomasa and
Paco Toronjo.
During the next ten years Cristian studied classical piano at the Conservatory of Huelva and then went on to get a degree in Flamencology in Cordoba. He later received a scholarship to study singing at the foundation of Cristina Heren (Sevilla) after winning a singing competition “Cante por Soleares” in Dos Hermanas. In the Foundation he received classes from Arcangel amongst other noted flamenco singers.
His career as a singer and flamenco pianist began in 2004 when he performed in the Huelva Congress Hall at the age of 16 years. There he shared the stage with Archangel and later went on to perform in festivals such as Quitasueños (Huelva ) with Miguel Poveda , the “Festival Gaucin” ( Malaga) with Esperanza Fernandez and participated in “Noche Blanca del Flamenco de Córdoba” as musical director of the show “5 Cordoba 5”, among others.
As a concert soloist with “Origin and Destiny” he gave concerts in Baeza International University, the Cultural Center Cajasol –La Caixa (Huelva ) , the Conservatory of Huelva, the “Festival Parque Moret”
and in the festival “Music in the street” in Segovia.
In 2011, Cristian started to get involved in producing. He set up his recording studio in Huelva where he produced the first album of guitarist Luis Davila for the Flamenco show “Swing” ( Paris) , he has recently collaborated with noted artists such as Rocio Molina, produced the first album of guitarist Eduardo Trassierra and continues to produce albums for other artists and for himself.
In 2012 his career took a giant leap and entered fully into the complex world of Flamenco dance when the director for the Andalusian Flamenco Ballet and the guitarist for Eva La Yerbabuena, Manuel De La
Luz, requested his services for the show “Llanto por la muerte de Ignacio Sanchez Mejías” in which he accompanied, on piano and bass, a great company of dancers headed by the great figure in flamenco, Antonio Canales, for two months of concerts in the gardens of the Alhambra (Teatro del Generalife, Granada) during July and August.
During his time with the ballet he played with the orchestra of Cordoba for the show “Metaphor” in which Ruben Olmo and Pastor Galvan danced and then performed at the Maestranza for the “Bienal de Flamenco” in 2012 with young noted flamenco dancers such as Patricia Guerrero amongst others.
In December of 2012 he won 2nd prize in the international competition of Dance in Madrid accompanying the dancer and choreographer Vanessa Aibar. A special reference was made to his creation of music for the choreography. A little later he started working with the dance company Aibar Vanessa and Manuel Roldán in the production “Extra-Bio”.
In March 2013 he began working with Carmen Linares for a show dedicated to theatrical musician Federico Garcia Lorca, “Que no he muerto”. It opened in the Marquina Theatre in Madrid, where he continued working as a pianist, bassist and arranger.
Currently, Cristian composes and performs with flamenco singer La Tremendita and together with Esther Weekes, Pablo Pradas and David “Chupete” is composer, singer and pianist for the group, Jazzoleá.
DAVID “CHUPETE” – PERCUSSIONIST AND DRUMMER
David ́s introduction to the world of flamenco came at an early age via his brother, the internationally acclaimed flamenco dancer, Antonio “El Chupete”.
He later studied in the music conservatory of Triana and attained a degree in “Magisterio Musical” at the Univerity Hispalanse.
David has toured the US and Canada with the company “Noche Flamenca”, travelling to cities such as Philadelphia, New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Texas and Montreal.
With the company of Omayra Amaya, he has performed in theatres in Jacksonville, Florida and the “Teatro de Cerritos” en Los Angeles and with Yurika Bodman ́s theatre production, “Ama”, he toured Japan in 2006.
David has worked with various flamenco companies in Poland, Portugal, France and Switzerland in important flamenco festivals such as “La Suma Flamenca de Madrid”, “Festival Flamenco de Nimes” (France), “Festival de Mont de Marsans” (France), “Festival de
Berlin” (Germany), “Mostachón de Utrera” and the “Bienal de Flamenco” (Sevilla).
In 2013 David became a part of Euskal Barrokensemble, lead by the amazing classical guitaris, Enrique Solines, within which he has recorded the album “Colores del Sur”. He continues to find himself immersed in a number of diverse projects among which are those with Juana Salazar “La Tobala” and guitarist Pedro Sierra.
David was also asked to join guitarist Manolo Franco and his company in 2013 and since 2011 has formed part of the world renowned Baroque musical ensemble La Academia del Piaccere with which he recorded the award winning disc entitled “Rediscovering Spain”
He has accompanied artists such as Antonio Cortés, “Chiquetete”, Juan Peña “El Lebrijano”, Pastora Soler, Falete, David Peña Dorantes, Junior Miguez, Juanito Makandé, Laura Vital, Maria de la Colina, Carmona, Romero San Juan, Agustin Carbonell “El Bola”, Rocio Díaz, Alicia Gil, Pedro Ricardo Miño, Manuel de Angustias and Pepa Montes. David had the honour of being the principal percussionist for the Ballet Andaluz de Flamenco (2012-2013).
In 2010 he, together with Alejandro Cruz Benavides and Esther Weekes formed the jazz and flamenco band, Yacara and he has gone on with Esther to be an integral part of the jazz flamenco group Jazzoleá with Pablo Pradas and Cristian de Moret. Read More

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