GUYANESE can turn out on Friday at the National Cultural Centre (NCC) to enjoy an evening of flamenco dancing in “Gloria”, a performance by Sonia Olla and her Flamenco Troupe, as the Honorary Consul of Spain to Guyana, Brian Tiwari, and Ambassador of Spain to Guyana, His Excellency Javier Carbojosa, host their annual charity production.
As in the past two years, all proceeds from the event will go to the Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Centre. Tiwari said the event will be a great opportunity to expose Guyanese to the Spanish culture, while simultaneously supporting a worthy cause. “I am trying to promote as much Spanish activity as I can promote here. The flamenco dancers I don’t think we have that anywhere in this country so you can only see them once, and they’re international dancers,” Tiwari pointed out..

Tiwari further stated that “Coming close to Christmas it gives Guyanese a better view of entertainment overseas, and Guyana is always lacking entertainment, so the more we can do as private sector for entertainment is good for us and also good because we are giving all the proceeds go to Ptolemy Reid Centre.”

Flamenco dance is a highly-expressive, Spanish dance form, based on various folkloric characterized by hand clapping, percussive footwork, and intricate hand, arm, and body movements.

Though Flamenco is not known in Guyana, it has many influences from Africa and Asia, similar to many of the cultural influences here in Guyana, Ambassador Carbojosa noted last year. Flamenco has become popular all over the world, especially the United States and Japan.  This is the third year that Tiwari is hosting the production in Guyana.
“We change the group from time to time. The first time we had a guitarist, then the last one was a flamenco six dancers, and this one is a different dance group,” Tiwari said. At last year’s event, Guyanese were treated to a performance from the Cristina Heeren Foundation of Flamenco Art of Seville, Spain titled “Calle Pureza”. That production was held at the Theatre Guild, Tiwari noted, and, because of the sold out attendance, the decision was taken to move the event to the NCC.

“The last one we had at the Theatre Guild was amazing. That was fully booked and it was well accepted; so this year we decided the best thing was to use the Cultural Centre, and that was given to us, at no cost, by the Honourable Minister George Norton. We just have to pay the fees for the staff,” he related.

The event has received much support both from patrons and sponsors. Prime Minister’s wife, Sita Nagamootoo, is expected to be a patron of the event. “We’ve raised over $1 million already in cash. I am very happy with the support that we are getting from everybody the government, the private, everybody they’re very supportive of this,” he said.