Carambita

We are Carambita:

Cante/Singing:
Ulises Diaz-Ropero

Toque/Guitar:
Jorge Bravo

Cajon/Percussion:
Demi Sabat Garcia

Baile/Dance:
Sarah "La Frasca"
Natalia Garcia-Huidobro (guest artist)

Violin:
Marcel Mamaliga

Videos

Fandangos

Tientos

Fandangos - Cante solo

Snaps & Bios

Ulises Diaz-Ropero

Ulises is a versatile flamenco singer (cantaor) and percussionist based in England since 2001. Born in Toledo-Spain, Ulises started his musical career in Madrid about ten years ago inspired by his father and uncle who are both flamenco aficionados. He would combine performing with his flamenco fusion band Caravana with his studies in Sociology in which he has got a degree by Complutense University of Madrid (2001). He was actively involved in the flamenco scene of Madrid and he was trained by the guitarist “maestro” Juan de Madrid. In 2001 Ulises moved to Newcastle and started working with the group “Pachamama” a “Rumba flamenco and Latin music” quartet. He also started collaborating with the guitarist Mike Holmes and the dancer (bailaor) Raul Calderon. He played in some prestigious venues of the city such as The Cluny, The Playhouse,The Sage… He also met in Newcastle the multi-instrumentalist and street theatre director, Paul Miskin who he is currently collaborating with in the street theatre performance “Tarantula”.
Shortly after moving to London in 2003 to start A maters degree in Ethnomusicology at SOAS (School of Asian and African studies, UCL ); which he has recently finished specialising on the musical and cultural relationship between North-African music and Spanish flamenco, Ulises founded ,with the guitarist Steve Homes, the flamenco group “Sumaya” that is still active. He has performed as a freelance singer with several important figures in the London flamenco scene such as Anna Leon, Angela Martinez, Carolina Esteves, etc… and performed in several venues and festivals included the Portobelo Road Street Festival, Cargo, Sundelics and the Ritzy. His latest projects consists of the recording of a fusion album with a Fusion rumba band called Prensa O’Palike and some recording sessions with the London based Mc Jonathan Garcia. One year ago Ulises founded the flamenco Quartet Carambita with Jorge Bravo.
He is also currently part of the flamenco theatre company called “Celestina entre palos” based in Spain where he performed in the prestigious ¨Almagro Corrala ¨(theatre stage) and in various Flamenco festivals in Spain.

Jorge Bravo

Jorge has been performing live since he was 13. He has a unique style of composition wich demonstrates a wide range of influences from classical guitar and flamenco to jazz and Latin American styles. He has recorded 3 CDs of his own compositions. Jorge has given concerts in Chile, Mexico, Pakistan, Italy, Spain, Ireland and UK, where he currently tours giving workshops with groups Carambita and Flamenco Flame. His talents were internationally recognised in June 2006 when he won first prize in the best non-spanish guitarist category at the Nino Ricardo International Guitar Competition held in Murcia, Spain.

You can view Jorge's website here.

Sarah "La Frasca"

Sarah “La Frasca” began her dancing career at the age of five, studying classical ballet for 13 years and achieving the Royal Academy of Dance ARAD qualification. Growing up in the theatre environment, her first professional appointment was at age 10 in the ballet “The Nutcracker”, and thereafter many other professional and competitive performances until her decision to move into flamenco full-time at the age of 21. Sarah emmigrated to the UK from her native South Africa when she was 19 to pursue her dancing aspirations, and since then she has performed in theatres and other venues throughout the UK. Her studies have been extensive, including many months of intensive study in Madrid, Seville and Jerez with maestros such as Mercedeiz Ruiz, Manuel Linan, Eva Yerbabuena, Rafaela Carrasco, and Israel Galvan to name but a few. During 2006 Sarah performed regularly at the Antigua Asociación de Sevilla in Seville, which was an invaluable contribution to her skills in dancing the original ‘tablao’ style flamenco. Over the past decade she has appeared in various UK festivals, on television for Granada TV and ITV, and on film in the Warner Bros Phantom of the Opera (2006), as well as teaching flamenco for various workshops and classes. She a founding member of the flamenco group Taconeo Flamenco .

Natalia Garcia-Huidobro

Natalia García Huidobro has studied with renowned maestros in Mexico, Madrid and Sevilla. She has danced in the flamenco companies of Mercedes Amaya "La Winy", Miguel Cañas and Juan Antonio de los Reyes, and in the contemporary dance company "En Cruz". In her native Chile she formed and directed the flamenco dance company "Palo Santo" who have performed to great acclaim across Chile and Mexico. She currently lives in Madrid and performs in tablaos such as "Las Carboneras" and "El Corral de la Moreria". Natalia regularly tours Europe and has taught and performed in countries such as Italy, the Czech Republic, Greece, Japan, Denmark, France and the UK

Demi Sabat Garcia

Since graduating from the London College of Music, Demi has been working as a freelance Drummer and Percussionist, specializing in Flamenco music and Latin styles.He plays with a number of groups and dance companies (La Xula A.M.A, Sumaya, The Escorts, Prensa o Palike, Andres Garcia Trio, Carl Herring Carambita, Bravo's trio, Takalid etc), ranging from the traditional to the experimental and fusing flamenco with other genres including Jazz, Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, North African. He also plays with a cover band (Pop, Rock, Funk...) at functions around the UK and abroad. He is a peripatetic teacher for Havering Music School in Essex, and has been involved in a number of educational Flamenco and Samba workshops.

Demi's myspace profile is here.

Marcel Mamaliga

TBU