Café Cantante

The Flamenco Poets Society has celebrated their Café Cantante Series for the last 15 years. This annual event is in memory of our beloved poet, dramatist & muse, Federico Garcia Lorca.

About the Series

The Café Cantante is reminiscent of Lorca’s café cantantes in the 1930’s,
creating diverse events blending poetry, music and dance.

Past Events

Alfonsina y el Mar

The Flamenco Poets Society presented music and poetry in celebration of Alfonsina Storni, icon of Argentinian Feminist Poetry.

Songs were written by Ariel Ramirez & Felix Luna, Violeta Parra, Chilean poet, Astor Piazzolla interpreted by Danielle Reich, Jazz singer, Thomas Helton, Bass & Stephan Badreau, Jazz guitar. Lorena Fernandez did a bilingual reading of the poems. “Retrato de Garcia Lorca” (poem written by Alfonsina in honor of Federico Garcia Lorca while he was visiting Buenos Aires). Thomas Helton did an original music composition interpreting a response to Retrato de Garcia Lorca – Portrait.

We want to thank all the artists for their collaboration and creativity in making this program possible.

Rodrigo and Lorca

To commemorate the 20th anniversary of Joaquin Rodrigo’s death, the society produced a special program with music and poetry at the Match – Midtown Arts Center.

Ms.Hsin-Jung Tsai, artist in residence, performed Joaquin’s famous composition “Aranjuez, Ma Pensé” – Tema del Adagio for solo piano. Mr. Shawn Renzoh Head, Shakuhachi (Japanese flute) performed his own arrangement of Aranjuez, Mon Amour with piano accompaniment by Ms. Tsai and Three Short Songs for Solo Shakuhachi (2019) by Hsin-Jung Tsai. Alex Kalamarides read the poetry of Federico Garcia Lorca.

The Flamenco Poets Society is indebted and grateful to the Joaquin Rodrigo Foundation and Ms. Cecilia Rodrigo for their support.

The Tree of Life: Storytelling, Flamenco guitar and Cante

Reyes Ramirez presented an original story based on his own experiences “Another Life, Another Time” co-sponsored by Poets & Writers. Randy Cordero, Flamenco guitar & Paco Garrigues, cante, interpreting traditional flamenco rhythms: Tangos, Siguiriyas, Tarantas, Solea & Bulerias.

José Luis de la Paz Flamenco Ensemble

Houston premier at the MATCH – Midtown Arts Center featuring José Luis de la Paz, guitar; Adolfo Herrera, percussion; Kenneth Jimenez, bassist; Niurca Márquez, baile. Co-sponsored with Lucia & Valdemar Flamenco and Guitar Houston.

Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz – Love Poems

Known as the Tenth Muse, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz is Latin America’s finest Baroque poet, but her work was forgotten for almost two hundred years until rediscovered by women scholars at the start of the 20th century. Thanks in part to Octavio Paz’s majestic biographical study; Sor Juana has regained her rightful place as a prolific writer and thinker. She is now credited as the first published feminist of the new world. Writing about love was for Sor Juana a deep declaration of psychic, spiritual and emotional need. Her love poems are expressions of the uncertain modern psyche. Because they are ferociously passionate, we feel consumed by the naked intensity she achieves. Special collaboration with the Houston Composers Salon. Hsin-Jung Tsai, pianist and Thomas Helton, bass presented originals compositions with a bilingual reading by Lorena Fernandez.

Manuel de Falla & Federico Garcia Lorca – Music & Poetry

Featuring Brinton Averil Smith, cello & Evelyn Chen, piano with Siete Canciones Españolas, Danza Española from La Vida Breve & Danza Ritual del Fuego de “El Amor Brujo” Ben Lind, Poetry Reading. The program commemorated Lorca & Falla’s historic collaboration during the Festival of Cante Jondo in Granada 1922.

Pablo Neruda: Love Poems for Matilde Urrutia

Neruda writes joyful sensual poems to his beloved wife Matilde Urrutia. His poems are expressed with brilliant images and simplicity, and in 1971 he received the Nobel Prize for literature. Featuring Randy Cordero on flamenco guitar, Paco Garrigues, cante and Ben Lind poetry reading.

Lorca – Lament for Ignacio Sanchez Mejias

The Society celebrated our muse, Federico Garcia Lorca with Ritmos Flamencos (Flamenco Rhythms) with Randy Cordero, flamenco guitar, and Ben Lind, poetry reading at the Brazilian Arts Foundation.

Lorca – Poema del Cante Jondo - Poetry, Music, & Dance

This special collaboration was based on “Poem of the Deep Song” included artists: Randy Cordero and Luisma Ramos, flamenco guitarists; Paco Garrigues, cante; Alexandra Simmons & Laura Garrigues (dancers); Ben Lind poetry reading.