« Femmenco »
On 24 April at 9:00 pm, as part of the Flamenco Nómada Festival and in partnership with the jazz club One More Time (AGMJ), Melodie Gimard presents Femmenco, a concert that brings together flamenco, jazz and female creativity. The French-Spanish pianist unveils her compositions in a universe where improvisation plays a central role, accompanied by double bassist Gal Maestro, singer Anna Colom and percussionist Nasrine Rahmani.
On this occasion, guest artist Karen Lugo, internationally renowned dancer and co-artistic director of the 2026 edition of the festival, will join the group for a vibrant performance that blends power, freedom and dialogue between music and dance.
Femmenco celebrates the strength of women in contemporary flamenco and offers a unique musical encounter.
Piano Mélodie Gimard
Double Bass Gal Maestro
Vocals Anna Colom
Percussion Nasrine Rahmani
Dance Karen Lugo
Location Centre de Musiques Actuelles (CHAUDRON)
Date vendredi 24 avril
Time 9:00 PM
Address Passage de Marie-Claude Leburgue 2, 1205 Genève
Full price: 23.-
Concert in partnership with AGMJ
Actress and flamenco dancer graduated in both disciplines in her native Málaga, María del Mar Suárez (“La Chachi”) explores the intersection of traditional flamenco, physical theatre, new dramaturgies, and contemporary dance. Since 2008, she has developed a bold, distinctive stage language.
In 2017, she premiered her first full-length solo work, La gramática de los mamíferos, winning three PAD Awards and the Lorca Award for Best Female Performer in Contemporary Dance. Her second creation, La Espera. Flamenco-rave-convento (2019), was awarded the Ateneo Award for Best Dance Show. Premiered at the Madrid Autumn Festival, her third piece, Los inescalables Alpes, buscando a Currito, won the 2022 Godot Award for Best Dance Show. Her latest research continues with Taranto Aleatorio (2022) and Las Alegrías (Aleatorias) (2025).
An iconoclastic choreographer and key figure in contemporary flamenco, Rocío Molina (Málaga, 1984) has developed a singular language that reinvents tradition alongside the most radical avant-gardes. At the age of seventeen, graduating with honors from the Royal Dance Conservatory of Madrid, she quickly established herself on the international stage within major companies before forging her own path.
Her creations stand out for their boundless curiosity and a constant dialogue with cinema, literature, and philosophy, giving rise to emblematic works such as Afectos, Bosque Ardora, Caída del Cielo, Grito Pelao, and her Trilogy for Guitars. Her artistic approach has been recognized with Spain’s National Dance Award at just 26 years old, the Silver Lion at the Venice Biennale, and her tenure as an associate artist at the Théâtre National de Chaillot in Paris.
Daniel Diosdado is an illustrator and designer from Jerez.
He began his Fine Arts studies at the University of Seville and eventually graduated from the University of Valencia, specialising in Illustration and Design.
His work is defined by a direct, colourful, and symbolic aesthetic, blending popular culture, Andalusian tradition, and graphic references from 1950s posters, printmaking, and movements like Mid-Century Modern. More than just creating aesthetically pleasing images, Diosdado tells stories in each of his drawings, combining the everyday with the poetic to invite reflection.
A versatile illustrator, his expertise spans across editorial, advertising, posters, audiovisual media, and muralism. His client list includes: The New Yorker, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Time, El País, La Ser, Cinemanía, La Liga, Alhambra, Osborne, Lustau, Solán de Cabras, the Jerez Flamenco Festival, and the Flamenco Nómada Festival.
He is represented in the United States by the Rapp Art illustration agency. He has published several illustrated books with the French publisher Milan, as well as the comic “Voy Tirando” after winning the Desencaja award.
He regularly participates in exhibitions, collaborations, and workshops, and in 2022, he was honoured with the APIM National Award (Professional Association of Illustrators of Madrid).
Benito Bernal is a virtuoso flamenco guitarist from Huelva, recognised for his extraordinary technical precision and profound musical sensitivity. A key figure in the new generation of guitarists, he has become the preferred accompanist for major voices in contemporary flamenco, most notably Ángeles Toledano, with whom he has forged a seamless artistic partnership.
Trained in the purest tradition of Andalusia, Benito stands out for a style that is both clean and emotive, where every note serves the narrative of the cante. His ability to navigate between traditional accompaniment and modern harmonic exploration has led him to perform at major international festivals. He is a musician who understands the guitar not just as an instrument, but as a living dialogue, bringing a sophisticated and fresh air to the current flamenco scene.
Ángeles Toledano discovered flamenco at a very young age, at just six years old, within her family environment thanks to her grandfather. Her childhood and teenage years were devoted to training and studying flamenco; she took part in dozens of competitions and certámenes, and joined the artistic ensembles of major companies.
In September 2024, her debut album “Sangre Sucia” was released, confirming the cantaora as both a creator and a performer. With flamenco guitarist Benito Bernal and producer Harto Rodriguez, the album reveals her distinctive flamenco universe, full of fantasy and an irresistible charm, travelling through the genre and moving between cante jondo and the avant‑garde. The album has been praised by critics, audiences and the industry, earning nominations for the Premios Ruido, the ACAMUS and +Músicas awards, as well as a recent Latin Grammy nomination for “Best Flamenco Music Album”, further strengthening the momentum and artistic force of her personal journey.
In her “Sangre Sucia” tour, the cantaora presents a live performance that remains rooted while looking to the present, designed to connect with diverse audiences without losing its identity. It is a vibrant journey on stage, accompanied by a young and perceptive ensemble who have carried out remarkable work in bringing this album to life as a stage production. With this record, she began a tour across cities and festivals throughout the country, winning over new venues and new audiences, reinventing herself to continue sharing her project wherever it is welcomed.
Yinka Esi Graves is a British flamenco dancer and practitioner whose work explores the intersections between contemporary dance, flamenco and Afro-diasporic movement. Based in Spain for over a decade, she has developed a unique choreographic language that uses the body as a site of research into identity, memory and visibility.
Her critically acclaimed production, The Disappearing Act, highlights her ability to blend traditional flamenco structures with experimental performance, questioning the historical presence of the Black female body in the art form. Yinka has collaborated with internationally renowned artists and institutions, establishing herself as a pioneering voice in vanguard flamenco. Her dance is characterised by a profound groundedness, rhythmic complexity, and a constant dialogue between the seen and the unseen.
José Maldonado is a flamenco dancer, choreographer and painter known for his distinctive artistic universe, where dance and visual arts intertwine to create a deeply personal stage language. Born in Barcelona, he trained with major flamenco masters while simultaneously developing a pictorial practice that would become one of the hallmarks of his artistic identity.
Winner of several prestigious awards, including the Revelation Prize at the Festival de Jerez, José Maldonado stands out for his contemporary approach to flamenco, blending tradition, abstraction and visual performance. His precise, vibrant dance engages in a dialogue with space and colour, giving rise to creations in which choreographic gesture also becomes a pictorial act.
He collaborates regularly with leading artists such as Belén López, Manuel Liñán, Antonio Canales, as well as Karen Lugo and Chicuelo in the production Tres Piezas. His piece La Galería, an intimate and poetic homage to Carmen Amaya, perfectly illustrates his ability to merge live painting and dance, creating a unique multidisciplinary work.
Gema Moneo, born in Jerez de la Frontera into one of the most emblematic Gitano families of flamenco, is today one of the most acclaimed bailaoras on the contemporary flamenco scene. Trained from childhood in the artistic atmosphere of her neighbourhood and the peñas of Jerez, she quickly developed a powerful, instinctive body language deeply rooted in her family tradition.
Recognised for her energy, rhythmic precision and stage charisma, Gema Moneo has performed in Spain’s most prestigious tablaos, such as Casa Patas, El Cordobés and Tablao Villarrosa, and has collaborated with leading figures including Joaquín Grilo, Manuel Liñán, Farruquito and El Torta. She is also regularly invited to international festivals, where her style—wild, elegant and sensitive—captivates an ever-growing audience.
A complete artist, Gema Moneo embodies the essence of flamenco from Jerez: a dance that is grounded, vibrant and intuitive, where expressive strength meets profound musicality. Her career makes her an essential voice in today’s flamenco and one of the most sought-after performers of her generation.
Gal Maestro is a renowned double bassist, recognised for her sensitive yet powerful playing at the crossroads of jazz, flamenco and improvised music. Originally from Israel and trained between Tel Aviv and Barcelona, she quickly established herself as a key musician on the contemporary flamenco-jazz scene. She collaborates with major artists such as Rosalía, Sílvia Pérez Cruz, Anna Colom, Melodie Gimard and Chano Domínguez, bringing to each project a distinctive rhythmic depth and singular musicality. Gal Maestro stands out for her hybrid approach to the double bass, where tradition and modernity are in constant dialogue. Her performances are characterised by great expressiveness, attentive listening and a striking stage presence.
Mélodie Gimard is a French pianist, composer and arranger based in Barcelona. Trained at the Conservatoire of Perpignan and later at ESMUC, where she specialised in flamenco piano, her work fuses flamenco, jazz and classical music. She is the author of several acclaimed projects, including Numen (2020) and Confidencias (2024), and has signed the musical direction of creations for artists on the contemporary flamenco scene. She also develops the trio Eunoia, a project that blends flamenco, chamber music and electronics. Her artistic universe is characterised by great expressiveness, contemporary writing and a constant focus on improvisation and musical identity.
