Chan Centre Welcomes Back Spellbinding Spanish Singer Diego El Cigala

 

Three-time Latin GRAMMY winner performs songs from Indestructible, forthcoming album celebrating the rich sounds of salsa

 

The Chan Centre for the Performing Arts at the University of British Columbia (UBC) announces the hotly anticipated return of Diego El Cigala, charming vocalist and three-time Latin GRAMMY winner, Sunday, November 20, 2016 at 7pm in the Chan Shun Concert Hall. Known for his uncanny ability to meld sounds of his Spanish Gitano heritage with other treasured genres, El Cigala will showcase the intoxicating rhythms and melodies of salsa with works from Indestructible, his upcoming album slated for release on Oct. 28, 2016.

“I find it almost impossible to sit still when I hear great salsa music—it’s truly an irresistible and engaging genre, and is sure to be a winning combination with the emotive vocals of Diego El Cigala,” says Joyce Hinton, Co-Managing Director of the Chan Centre. “When we first presented him in 2014 to a sold-out crowd, his artistry took my breath away. We can’t wait to welcome El Cigala back with this new program that explores a diverse range of salsa music from South and North America, the Caribbean, and southern Spain.”

Named “one of the most beautiful flamenco voices of our time” by legendary guitarist Paco de Lucia, Diego El Cigala is a master at knitting together musical influences – flamenco, son, bolero, tango, and now salsa – to create a spectacular blend. Born in 1968 in Madrid to a musical family deeply-rooted in the flamenco tradition, he started his solo career singing flamenco with the 1997 release, Undebel. Upon receiving his first Latin GRAMMY nomination for Best Flamenco Album, El Cigala joined forces with celebrated Cuban pianist Bebo Valdés. Together they recorded the breakthrough album that sent El Cigala’s career soaring, Lágrimas Negras (Black Tears) in 2003.

Following the commercial success of Lágrimas Negras, which sold more than one million copies and received critical acclaim the world over, El Cigala began to explore other musical influences, in particular from Latin America. He has since produced a series of cross-genre albums, and will add the much-awaited 2016 release, Indestructible, to his impressive discography.

As a restless artist, constantly in pursuit of the next great musical challenge, El Cigala put his recent creative focus on the universal genre of salsa. This artistic venture brought him to record in various salsa hotspots from Cali, Columbia and San Juan, Puerto Rico, to New York City and Miami in the United States. Indestructible was completed in Spain where El Cigala added the final flamenco touches with guitar, coros (choruses), and palmas (clapping).

More than 70 musicians from different countries are featured on Indestructible as part of a ‘cultural exchange’ of talents. The album was named in honour of salsa’s prevalent and lasting legacy, and features legends such as Oscar D’León, Bobby Valentín, Larry Harlow, Roberto Roena, Luis Perico Ortiz, as well as many others from the golden days of renowned salsa label, Fania Records.

For his concert at the Chan Centre, Diego El Cigala will be joined on stage by a stellar ensemble: Bernardo Aguirre Ocampo & Richard Stella-Prieto (trombones); Diego Giraldo & Giovanni Betancourt (vocals); Jaime Calabuch (piano); Yelsy Heredia (bass); and Isidro Suarez (percussion).

Chan Centre Connects Events (chancentre.com/connects)

A series of ancillary events programmed in conjunction with Chan Centre performances, exploring the role of arts and artists in society.

• The Art of Resistance – Thursday November 10 / 7pm @ VIVO Media Arts Centre, 2625 Kaslo Street, Vancouver. Art has long been a powerful vehicle of expression used to challenge and resist negative stereotypes. In partnership with the Canadian Romani Alliance, this multimedia presentation and discussion touches on art, Roma self-representation, and the deconstruction of Gypsy / Gitano stereotypes.

• Pre-Show Talk – Opre Roma: Rise Up Roma – Sunday November 20 / 6:15pm @ Royal Bank Cinema, Chan Centre. Dr. Shayna Plaut (UBC, SFU, Global Reporting Centre) and Gina Csanyi-Robah (Canadian Romani Alliance founder) discuss Diego El Cigala’s influential music and how Roma worldwide create music, art and media as a form of resistance and empowerment.

About The Chan Centre for Performing Arts at UBC (chancentre.com)

Since 1997, The Chan Centre for the Performing Arts in UBC’s Arts & Culture District has earned an international reputation for its striking design, stellar acoustics, and exceptional programming. Artists, critics, and patrons alike are unanimous in their praise of the facility, winning it a place among North America’s premier performing arts venues. The Chan Centre boasts three unique venues: the superb Chan Shun Concert Hall, the dramatic Telus Studio Theatre, and the intimate Royal Bank Cinema. From classical, jazz, theatre, and opera to world music, the Chan Centre is a vital part of UBC campus life where artistic and academic disciplines merge to inspire new perspectives on life and culture. Past performers and guest speakers include Wynton Marsalis, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Renée Fleming, Dan Savage, Yo-Yo Ma, Anoushka Shankar, Sigur Rós, Mavis Staples, Lila Downs, Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club, Chick Corea and Herbie Hancock.

LISTING INFORMATION

Chan Centre Presents: Diego El Cigala

Date:

Sunday, November 20, 2016 at 7pm

Ticket prices:

From $54

Address:

Chan Centre for the Performing Arts

University of British Columbia

6265 Crescent Road, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1

Box Office:

604-822-2697 /chancentre.com

In person at the Chan Centre ticket office

Open Tue-Sat, 12pm-5pm

Website:

chancentre.com