'Blazing' flamenco on the Waterfront

Following last year's sell-out performance at the Caraffa Stores Caravaggio exhibition, Francesca Grima and Andrej Vujicic will present their latest flamenco production from Seville - Puerto Flamenco 2005.

This year's music and dance spectacle is featuring Seville's award-winning young artists, who participate in the most important flamenco festivals in Spain. One of its leading gypsy flamenco dancers, Amador Rojas, will join Malta's own flamenco exponent in Seville, Ms Grima, in a "visually stunning presentation of fierce choreography and blazing footwork" that enthralled spectators in 2004.

Mr Rojas started dancing at the age of seven under the tuition of the legendary El Farruco and has since toured the five continents, captivating audiences with his temperamental and raw gypsy style of dance.

He forms part of today's leading flamenco company, Eva La Yerbabuena, with which he has participated at the Bienal de Flamenco de Sevilla, as well as performed in prestigious theatres in London, New York and Japan.

Together with award-winning singer José "El Tremendo", and an outstanding team of gypsy guitarist Joselito Acedo and percussionist Mr Vujicic, the group intend to offer an emotionally charged performance.

Organisers said Puerto Flamenco promises to be "an authentic flamenco experience, where energetic dance, complex rhythms and deep musical understanding create a magic of intuitive communication on stage".

The company will be touring Croatia, Belgrade, Greece and Australia later on in the year.

The open-air event is being held at Pinto Wharf, the new Valletta Waterfront, on June 25 and 26 at 8.30 p.m. Tickets cost Lm7 and are available from St James Cavalier or at the door.