About Me
Sonikete is a high energy, party band who perform nuevo flamenco and Latin dance rumbas inspired by the ground-breaking groups Ketama and Gypsy Kings in a duet or quartet format.Led by guitarist "El Rubio" and gypsy singer from Spain Felix de Lola, two master musicians who combine driving, passionate flamenco beats with a Latin jazz feel, Sonikete provides excitingentertainment in an intimate setting or a concert hall. Their repertoire includes nuevo flamenco hits as well as their own original songs, perfectly blended withEl Rubio's powerhouse, virtuosic guitar and vocal harmonies, Felix's sensuous and lyrical vocals and guitar strumming and the addition of Emmy Award-winning dancer Yaelisa for special events.Sonikete is available for private and public bookings.
Flamenco guitarist Jason McGuire El Rubio began playing at the age of nine. He received formal training in Dallas, Texas from the Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. While in high school he was given the prestigious "DEE-BEE" award from Down Beat magazine in the category of instrumental jazz soloist and later was one of four finalists in the 1988 American String Teachers Association (ASTA) National Classic Guitar Competition. In 1995 Jason recorded with famed Gypsy guitarist Carlos Heredia on his CD "Gypsy Flamenco," and released a recording of his own composition "Distancias" in 2005, which has received unanimous critical praise. He has accompanied many of flamencos greats, including Alejandro Granados, Antonio El Pipa, Enrique El Extremeno, Carmela Greco, Manuel and Antonio Malena, among others. Jason has been awarded a California Arts Council Music Fellowship and has been nominated twice for an Isadora Duncan Dance Award.
Felix de Lola. flamenco singer from Sevilla, Spain began his flamenco singing with the Compallo family and went on to study with the renowned flamenco singers, Jesus Heredia and Naranjito de Triana. His recent, extensive touring schedule has brought him to the world stages throughout Western and Eastern Europe, Costa Rica, South Africa and the United States, singing for a list of illustrious artists such as dancers Juan Polvillo, Belen Maya, Carmela Greco, Maribel Ramos "La Zambra" and guitarists Jose Luis Postigo and the prestigious guitarist and composer Jose Luis Rodriguez, musical director of the famed Cristina Hoyos Flamenco Company. Along with his superb singing talent, Felix composes music and verses for flamenco song, composes theatrical works and musical adaptations for flamenco theater. In Costa Rica he is recognized as a leading exponent of Flamenco. Recent projects include composing musical adaptations of Costa Rican writer, Cristy Van de Laat's The Red Book of Black Haiku" and the play"Moureliana" based on the poetic works of writer, Jose Nestor Mourelo Aguilar.
