President's Message

The 2012 season marks a milestone for the Flamenco Arts Festival with the Concierto Para Los Niños scheduled, for the first time, at the Marjorie Luke Theatre on April 21, an auditorium that has been a center of cultural arts events for generations and now, with its interior refurbished in an elegant example of Spanish neo-classical architecture, stands as a fully fledged venue for flamenco. We warmly welcome Shirin Rajaee, KEYT newscaster, not only as the Concierto’s Master of Ceremonies, but also to Santa Barbara’s family of flamenco aficionados.

The Concierto was conceived as a means of presenting and explaining the art of flamenco to children throughout Southern California. Through the Concierto, we seek to encourage a discussion of the diversity of world cultures, inspire creativity in artistic expression and to discuss how people in different parts of the world positively influence each other, simply by sharing their art. And finally, as in all other aspects of the Festival, we seek to acknowledge the continuing emergence of flamenco as a major component of America’s cultural and entertainment calendar.

The Board of Directors hope that all flamenco aficionados, and lovers of the cultural arts in general, and specifically children, will come to the Luke Theatre on April 21 and thereby be part of, and rejoice in the beat, the rhythm and the emotion of centuries-old flamenco --- cultivated in Spain, but now transplanted to, and thriving, in Santa Barbara.

Alberto Pizano
President