Paco de Lucia Legacy Festival is a week-long flamenco event opening at Carnegie Hall on February 20. The festival is being held to commemorate the tenth anniversary of Paco de Lucia’s passing on February 25, 2014. Paco was a leading proponent of the new flamenco style and was one of the first flamenco guitarists to branch into classical and jazz. He was a pioneer and visionary of the music of his Andalucia.

Josemi Carmona is one of the fundamental figures in the recent history of Spanish music, flamenco, and guitar. A son of maestro Pepe Habichuela, Josemi is an heir to a crucial 4-generation legacy of decisive Granada artists. At 14, he joined Ketama, one of the most influential and revolutionary bands in Spanish music, selling over 1 million of their 14 albums. Simultaneously, he closely collaborated with world-class artists such as Paco de Lucía, Alejandro Sanz, and Jorge Pardo and was a producer for Niña Pastori and La Barbería del Sur.

Javier Colina is one of the best double bass players in the current scene, a self-taught musician who started independently after studying piano, accordion, and guitar. An artist with an unquenchable curiosity, Colina has traveled –literally & artistically- to countless musical places and expressions with a depth and knowledge seldom seen. His career has led him to play with renowned jazz musicians such as George Cables, Tete Montoliú, Chucho Valdés, Jerry González, Perico Sambeat, and Jorge Pardo.

Piraña is considered a vital reference for percussionists and one of the most accomplished cajón musicians, Piraña toured with the late flamenco guitarist Paco de Lucía’s band for more than 10 years. Piraña is considered one of the greatest cajón players ever and an essential reference for percussionists worldwide. He has played with artists such as Lenny Kravitz, Ricky Martin, Chick Corea, Paquito D’Rivera, and Wynton Marsalis. One of the main contributors and lead actors in the evolution of the cajón, Piraña has adapted the instrument to genres outside of flamenco, raised its musical standard, and further developed the cajón technique.

Cruz’s own story is pretty remarkable. The 31-year-old is a classically trained singer from Catalonia. She studied piano and classical saxophone and has a degree in vocal jazz. While still at the Catalonia College of Music in Barcelona, Cruz co-founded a flamenco group called Las Migas (The Bread Crumbs) with three other women. She says none of them were the best players or singers, but that helped them take a different approach to flamenco. Javier Colina, a jazz bassist, invited her to record an album with his trio. Silvia Perez Cruz sings in French, German, and English in four Iberian languages.

Jorge Pardo is one of the architects of the current flamenco renaissance—a founding member of the group Dolores (together with Pedro Ruy-Blas). Today, Jorge Pardo is regarded as one of the true leaders of a style of music that fuses flamenco with jazz. He is among the elite jazz figures from Spain with an international following. Introduced to the world of professional flamenco at the hands of groundbreaking flamenco guitarist Paco de Lucia, he has acquired a new hybrid language between jazz “de raiz” (“from the roots”) and flamenco. He is acclaimed for his longtime association with Paco de Lucía and American jazz legend Chick Corea. Jorge Pardo’s style and technique on both flute and the sax are blazing new trails in this constantly developing music. In addition to his work in Sextet by Paco de Lucia, he has collaborated with nearly every prominent figure in the world of flamenco on concerts with Chick Corea and Astrid Gilberto, also a longtime collaborator with flamenco rock bands Ketama and La Barberia del Sur, further exploring the outer reaches of the rhythms of flamenco.

Chano Domínguez, a Cadiz pianist who has made significant contributions, Chano Domínguez is a celebrated jazz pianist and composer known for his unique fusion of jazz and flamenco. With over 40 years of experience, he has captivated audiences worldwide, including fellow musicians from both genres. Chano’s music seamlessly integrates the traditions of jazz and flamenco, placing him among the top artists in this genre. Chano has collaborated with renowned musicians such as Paco de Lucía, Wynton Marsalis, and Herbie Hancock, showcasing his exceptional interpretive skills. Chano’s innovative approach has significantly impacted the history of flamenco-jazz.

French-Spanish percussionist, tabla player, and drummer. Tino di Geraldo is one of Spain’s leading flamenco and jazz percussionists, bringing classical and jazz influences to flamenco with a punk-rock background. Billboard cited him as an “eminent flamenco musician.” He toured and recorded with Paco de Lucía, Tomatito, Chano Domínguez, Carlos Núñez, Raimundo Amador, Javier Álvarez, Niña Pastori, and Manolo Sanlúcar. He has worked with French/Vietnamese jazz guitarist Nguyen Le and American folk musician Jackson Browne.

Antonio Fernández Montoya is a flamenco bailaor best known as “Farru,” the son of the flamenco cantaor [singer] Juan Fernández Flores “El Moreno” and the flamenco bailaora [dancer] Rosario Montoya Manzano, known as “La Farruca.” The grandson of “Farruco,” one of the most influential flamenco clans of dancers in history and the founder of one of the world’s leading flamenco schools. His brother “Farruquito,” is currently considered one of the most distinguished flamenco dancers. In this family environment, it is unsurprising that Farru also felt the call of flamenco when he was only a kid and was on a world tour with Master Paco de Lucía.