María Bermúdez Presents ‘Convivencias,’ a Spectacular Evening of Flamenco Under the Stars

Convivencia refers to the Spanish ideal of coexistence and community, living together in harmony. According to some accounts, the Convivencia historically refers to the period of peaceful coexistence between Muslims, Christians, and Jews for more than seven centuries in the Iberian Peninsula, from the 8th century until 1492.

Convivencias celebrates flamenco as a universal language, expressed through cante (song), compás (rhythm), and baile (dance).

Who better to orchestrate such a gathering than our own legendary Maestra María (“La Chacha”) Bermúdez, Artistic Director of Flamenco! Santa Barbara? Bermúdez moved from Los Angeles to Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, more than three decades ago to imbibe the culture, music, and dance of the Gitano community. They are the originators of the deepest, most authentic flamenco. Through her experiences, she has become one of the leading exponents of authentic Jerez-style flamenco, and was designated Flamenco Ambassador by the city of Jerez in 2022.

Through the many community programs Bermúdez organizes in Santa Barbara with renowned flamenco dancer and teacher Timo Nuñez (peñas flamencas, íntimos, and large programs during Fiesta), she brings Jerez to life in our community. Convivencias is going to be a confluence of spectacular artists that she has performed with for more than 30 years in Jerez, and musicians and dancers from this side of the Atlantic, in the outdoor plaza of the Santa Barbara Historical Museum on September 10.

Featured musicians include members of famous Gitano families from Spain: renowned singers Carmen Grilo from Jerez and Ismael Fernández from the famous Familia Fernández of Sevilla; Manu Parrilla Hernandez (guitar), Juan Parrilla (flute), and Bernardo Parrilla (violin) from the legendary Parilla family of Jerez; as well our Grammy-nominated local celebrities Andrés Vadín (guitar) and Diego Álvarez (percussion), who are featured at Fiesta and many performances throughout the year.

Featured dancers will be Santa Barbara’s own María Bermúdez and Timo Nuñez, with Madrid-born Nino de los Reyes. De los Reyes is the first bailaor (flamenco dancer) to be recognized with a Latin-Grammy award, and is also an Associate Professor of Dance at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee. 

They will be joined by rising star dancers Talia Vestal, Sabrina Ibarra, and Ysabella Yturralde, all of whom got their start with Linda Vega, Bermúdez, and Nuñez.

In the more-than-30 years that Bermúdez lived in Jerez, she found a place where flamenco rhythm is in the air, making it different from other, larger cities in Spain, such as Sevilla and Madrid, where there are formal dance academies. She said that in Jerez, “you learn it one day at a time, by loving it; it cannot be written down, but has to be lived. Cante [song] is the base of flamenco, which is pain, manifest through the voice and heart” (Streets of Flamenco).

Bermúdez endured firsthand the pain of being a foreigner in Jerez de la Frontera, the birthplace of flamenco, until, through her dancing, she was accepted into true convivencia by the prominent flamenco families there. She chronicles her journey from the barrios of L.A., to struggling student-dancer in Jerez de la Frontera, to world-renowned flamenco artist in her award-winning documentary Streets of Flamenco. 

Bermúdez also met her soulmate in Jerez, the Latin Grammy–nominated musician Pelé de los Reyes, from one of the prominent Gitano families of Jerez. “When María arrived here, the truth spoke for itself,” he said in the documentary. “If you say, ‘I’m American,’ they look at you in another way. But if you say nothing, then your dance speaks for you. And [when they saw her dance] they said, ‘This girl’s from Jerez.’”

Convivencias at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum is an opportunity for everyone to gather and enjoy world-class artists from the U.S. and Spain who are at the top of their fields, performing traditional flamenco as well as pushing the boundaries into the contemporary scene. Convivencias is the next best opportunity, apart from going to Jerez, to soak up the authentic base of flamenco, here in Santa Barbara. The event is on Thursday, September 10, at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are available atbit.ly/4xXWxp0.