LARA WONG, CHAITANYA NATU, & MELÓN JIMENEZ
Flute, bansuri, tabla, and flamenco guitar
Bringing together traditions from Spain and India, flutist Lara Wong, guitarist Melón Jiménez, and tabla player Chaitanya Natu explore the connections between flamenco and Indian classical music. Their sound is an echo of the of the spice road, where cultures met and transformed through rhythm and melody. Somewhere between the fiery spirit of Paco de Lucía and the entrancing energy of Shakti, their music comes to life with dynamic improvisation and moving melodies.
Chaitanya Natu is a young, virtuosic tabla player from India, now based in Valencia, Spain. Trained from the age of six and holding advanced degrees in both Indian classical and contemporary performance (Berklee College of Music), he blends the taal system and ragas with Western instrumentation to create a fresh, genre-defying sound. He has performed internationally across styles ranging from Indo-Flamenco jazz to Sufi-electronic and Middle Eastern music.
Chaitanya Natu - Tabla and percussion
Lara Wong - Flute and bansuri
Lara Wong is a Canadian flutist and bansuri player whose musical journey began in the classical and jazz world at McGill University before leading her to Spain, where she dedicated herself to flamenco. She is internationally recognized for bringing the sound of the Indian bansuri into flamenco, becoming the first foreigner in history to win the prestigious Filón prize for best flamenco instrumentalist at Festival Cante de las Minas. Lara has performed at renowned festivals including Suma Flamenca, Festival Arte Flamenco Mont-de-Marsan, Mundial Montréal, and SunFest. Throughout her career, she has shared the stage with leading artists such as Tino di Geraldo, Montse Cortés, Pepe Rivero, and Belen Maya.
Melón Jimenez - flamenco guitar and voice
Melón Jiménez’s flamenco roots run deep; he learned the guitar from his father, a Gitano (Spanish Roma) guitarist from Jerez de la Frontera, the birthplace of flamenco. His mother, a German classical pianist, brought another musical world into the home. These rich influences, combined with his boundless musical curiosity, led him to tour with renowned artists across genres, including Anoushka Shankar, Enrique Morente, Richard Bona, Niña Pastori, and Jorge Pardo. He has been a finalist in the Paco de Lucia Awards and the Cordoba Flamenco Guitar Competition and his album with Lara Wong, Confluencias, was nominated for a Juno Award.
UPCOMING SHOWS:
October 11: Bilbao - JazzOn Fest
November 7: Madrid - Centro Cultura el Torito
November 8: San Lorenzo El Escorial - ReBabel