Val Ramos Flamenco Ensemble
Hamden, Connecticut, United States | Established. Jan 01, 1994 | INDIE
Music
Press
Yesira Delgado interviews Flamenco guitarists VAL RAMOS and JOSE RAMOS about their May 11, 2019 25th Anniversary Concert at the Educational Center for the Arts/Arts Hall in New Haven, CT. - Arts Paper - Arts Council of Greater New Haven
What’s Happening New Haven talks with Flamenco Passion, set to be performed by the Val Ramos Ensemble on 5/11 at the
New Haven’s Educational Center For The Arts/ Arts Hall. We spotlight the passion of these virtuoso players, vocalists, and dancer, Rebeca Tomas. - Bonnie Lykes, WPKN What is Happening New Haven!
Upcoming concert news article - FC Buzz.org
Short features article on the band - Musica Latina News
Upcoming concert news article - Stamfordplus.com
Feature story on this outstanding Flamenco group from Connecticut - Turner Falls River Culture News
Short features article on upcoming performance - Northwest Community College News
Val Ramos remains one of the hidden treasures of the Flamenco world in America.... - Flamenco Connection
Brian Grosjean reviews the 2001 album release POR MI CAMINO featuring the Val Ramos Flamenco Ensemble - Rootsworld.com
Val Ramos began studying Flamenco guitar at age of 14 under Spanish Flamenco guitar master Adonis Puerta at the South Bronx Community Action Theater in NYC. Val made his professional debut in 1985 on The Disney Channel’s “Coming On” variety series. He has released three CDs of original music– Olive Green Eyes (1990), Boricuas Flamencos (1995), and Por mi camino (2001). Tracks from these CDs are featured in the CPTV documentary Puerto Rican Passages (1996) and the PBS/WNET-Thirteen documentary Nuyoricans (2002). Val is also featured in New England Landscapes, Romantic Reverie and The Gift of the Guitar, all produced by the Connecticut Guitar Society. In 1997, Val was chosen by New York University’s Center for Music Performance as its first All-University Artist in Residence and became the first non-Spanish guitarist to perform at the prestigious King Juan Carlos I of Spain Center. Since 1994, Val has performed at International Festival of Arts and Ideas, Guitar Under the Stars, Regattabar Spring Jazz Festival, Litchfield Jazz Festival, Summerwind Concert Series, and Levitt Pavilion Summer Music Festival. In 1999, the ensemble performed with legendary “Salsa” singer Celia Cruz at the Bushnell Theater. In 2002, the ensemble opened for Latin Grammy singer Danny Rivera at the Nuyorican Poet’s Café. In 2002, Val also performed at the International Guitar Festival in Spain, and in July 2005 toured in Spain with his ensemble under the auspices of the U.S. Embassy. In 2012, Val made his Puerto Rico concert debut with his brother, Flamenco guitarist José Ramos. - New Haven Arts Magazine
The Val Ramos flamenco ensemble played two consecutive stages on New Haven Green Tuesday afternoon. At noon, they were the featured act on the big Elm Street stage. An hour later, the ensemble sauntered over to the Family Stage on the Church Street side of the Green, across the street from City Hall.
On the Green, they played familiar melodies such as “Wild World,” and some rhythm dance tunes percussified by hand drums and castanets.
Then they whisked over to the Family Stage, where the instrumental virtuosity was no longer center stage, and became the accompaniment for some lively flamenco dancing. The ensemble didn’t otherwise change what they do to suit little kids. They just added the lively visuals of an accomplished dancers clopping about in her heels and gorgeous red dress. The crowd was rapt. - New Haven Independent
Discography
- Por mi camino (PIRAM Records, 2004) https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/vramosens2
- Boricuas Flamencos (PIRAM Records, 1998) https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/vramosens1
- Olive Green Eyes (PIRAM Records, 1990) https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/valramos
Photos
Bio
The Val Ramos Flamenco Ensemble is one of the best Flamenco fusion groups in the United States. Established in 1994, the group features the unique talents of VAL RAMOS (lead Flamenco guitarist), JOSE R. RAMOS (Flamenco guitarist), KRIS JENSEN (flutist), CARLOS HERNANDEZ CHAVEZ (bassist), ASHLEY JONES (violinist), and MATT MOADEL (cajon player/percussionist). The ensemble often performs with ALFONSO CID, the talented Flamenco singer from Sevilla, Spain. The ensemble also performs with guest Flamenco dancers and other musicians from Spain and the United States.
Hailed as “the best of classical Flamenco brought to modern standards” (Rootsworld.com), “a hidden treasure of the Flamenco world in the Americas…superb musicianship..” (Flamenco Connection), and “simply brilliant” (Flamenco Buzz.com) this outstanding musical group represents the best of contemporary Flamenco music, song, and dance.
The Val Ramos Flamenco Ensemble has released three albums of original Flamenco music and song, all on the PIRAM Records label–Por mi camino (2001), Boricuas Flamencos (1998), and Olive Green Eyes (1995). The ensemble has performed in major international music festivals including the International Festival of Arts and Ideas, Litchfiled Jazz Festival, Summerwind Summer Concerts, Levitt Pavilion Summer Music Festival, Regattabar Spring Jazz Festival, the Guitar Under the Stars Festival. In July 2005, the ensemble toured Spain under the auspices of the United States Embassy in Spain and performed at the inauguration of the new U.S. Ambassador to Spain (at the Embassy in Madrid) as well as at the prestigious club El Savor in Salamanca.
The group has been featured in National Public Radio (NPR United States) and Radio Nacional Española (RNE Spain) interviews in the radio shows “All Things Considered,” “The Faith Middletown Show,” and “La hora de America.” The group’s music is featured in several documentary films including Puerto Rican Passages (Connecticut Public Television) and Nuyoricans (WNET-Thirteen/PBS). It has also been featured in WTNH-8 Stage 8 variety television program.
The Val Ramos Flamenco Ensemble has performed at some of the most prestigious colleges and universities including Yale University, New York University, Brown University, the University of Connecticut, Trinity College, and the University of Hartford.
The group has also performed at such prestigious venues as the Regattabar, the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, The Autorino Center for the Arts (University of Hartford), and the United States Embassy in Madrid, Spain.
The ensemble has performed with internationally-renowned and Grammy Award winners the-late CELIA CRUZ and DANNY RIVERA. It has also performed with some of the best Flamenco artists from Spain and the United States.
Fees range from $700 for the Flamenco guitar and percussion trio to $2,000 for the ensemble and traditional "cuadro Flamenco." The Val Ramos Flamenco Ensemble is registered with the New England Foundation for the Arts' New England State Touring Roster (NEST) and New England presenters can apply for grant funding to cover up to half of the fee to book the group. For more information go to: http://www.Matchbook.org.
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