José Maya in Latente: A Flamenco Journey

José Maya performs his newest work in its New York debut, and is joined by legendary Gypsy singer Juana la del Pipa, powerhouse vocalists Enrique el Extremeño and Manuel Tañé, and celebrated guitarist Pino Losada.

“Flamenco …. has a feeling borne of the depths of the earth,” José Maya once said. “That’s why flamenco is universal and reaches all social classes and cultures. It’s like going back to the beginning and rediscovering who we are.” That search, both professional and deeply personal, resulted in Latente, a striking solo piece presented in a spare setting.

“Latente (latent in English) as they say in Spanish –latent in English– refers to something dormant or hidden inside that from time to time manifests itself as instinct,” he says about the show. “It is something you are not totally aware of. So it’s a personal, inward search, an intimate journey where I discover the source of my instinct. I dance to my ‘other self’ in the shadows.”

Maya is supported by an ensemble comprising the exceptional cantaores (singers) Juana la del Pipa, Enrique el Extremeño and Manuel Tañé, and the guitarist Pino Losada, but also utilizing pre-recorded music and projected visuals. Maya offers a narrative that moves, in 13 vignettes, from what critics have described as “tradition with a postmodern minimalist patina” to a fiery dialogue between dance and cante (flamenco song). It’s a performance that has reminded flamenco critics of the simplicity of the old tablao flamenco.