Dúo Flamenco formed in 2007 out of a mutual passion for the art form of flamenco. Inspired by the sounds of Andalucía – the colorful province of southern Spain – the duo presents a dynamic combination of guitar, voice and rhythm. With Grant Ruiz on vocals and guitar and Terry Longshore on cajón (box drum), other percussion and vocals, the duo takes the audience on a journey through orange groves and olive orchards; arid, sun-drenched mountain plateaus; caves filled with gypsy passion; tiled courtyards with elegant, whispering fountains; and a history flowing with ecstasy and anguish. The natural sounds of voice and wood evoke times past when people sang their lives because they dared not speak of them openly.
Originally versed in several other styles of music both domestic and international, Terry and Grant were drawn to flamenco because of its fiery sound and driving pulse. Together they explore the range of emotion that flamenco provides in its music, from lyrical ballads to playful rumbas to the deepest of laments. This is truly music of the soul, but with a serious groove. The language of the cante (song) is Spanish, but you don’t need to speak it to feel the emotion behind it. And the audience is part of the performance in flamenco. As the performers reach for duende, a state of truth and inspiration, the audience is invited to reach with them, shouting out their approval and encouragement: “¡Olé!”