History of the Guitar Part 1 - Flamenco Maqam

Flamenco Meets Maqam

An exciting evening inspired by the origins of the Spanish guitar in the compelling music, dance and drama evocative of the blood and the gold of the Spanish empire from which the Flamenco culture of the Gitano emerged. The project is powered by four artists whose backgrounds reflect the rich musical exchanges between the Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and Iberian worlds. Ignacio Lusardi Monteverde, an Argentinian-born, London-based guitarist with a long-standing engagement in Flamenco and its wider cultural connections, brings a contemporary perspective to the instrument’s Andalusian heritage. Konstantinos Glynos, a Greek qanun (a zither-like instrument with 78 strings famous for its melodramatic sound) player with a deep grounding in the maqam tradition, contributes the shimmering modal colours that have travelled from the Eastern Mediterranean across centuries. Demi García Sabat, a Barcelona-born percussionist versed in Flamenco, jazz and Middle Eastern rhythmic languages, shapes the ensemble’s pulse with agility and nuance. The group is completed by Lourdes Fernández, whose Flamenco dance and footwork add a vivid rhythmic and expressive dimension.

The Moors brought their music to Spain, where it contributed to what we know today as Flamenco. Together, the ensemble present new musical ideas based on Middle Eastern and Flamenco music, with pieces - musical visions - that include Maqams, Andalusian harmonies and rhythms of the Middle East, from Babylon, Ancient Spain's Al-Andalus Caliphate to present-day compas, cadences and palmas patterns.

With homage to the past, rather than recreating history, the group engages with its living echoes: instrumental interplay, gripping, rhythmic dialogue and dance converge to reveal how these intertwined traditions continue to shape one another. The result is a contemporary meeting point where diverse lineages open new sonic possibilities in a fiery and compelling show that reaches deep into the souls of the performers and the audience. 
 

The pre-show Flamenco masterclass led by master guitarist Ignacio is free to concert ticket holders and students or otherwise £10