Jaleos Flamenco evokes the exotic roots of the passionate, fiery and graceful soul of flamenco. Formed in the late 1990’s by dancer Simone Pope and guitarist Andrew Veivers, Jaleos Flamenco has been thrilling audiences with a heady mix of traditional and contemporary flamenco music, dance and song for many years.
With individual and collaborative performance credentials that include major theatre and opera companies, state and regional arts and cultural venues and festivals, and performances with a multitude of international flamenco artists, Simone and Andrew create beautifully crafted concerts that conjure the flamenco spirit in all of its guises. They are joined by phenomenal vocalist Kacey Patrick, brilliant double bassist Andrew Shaw and special guest dancer Stefania Gucciardo.
Simone Pope (Choreography / Dance)
Simone Pope's discovery of Flamenco music and dance began in 1990. Founding member of Brisbane based groups Jaleos Flamenco and The Saruzu Quartet, Simone has performed at major festivals, theatres and concert halls from Tokyo to Adelaide, and almost everywhere in between. Simone directs the Brisbane Flamenco Studio where she teaches and hosts workshops by visiting national and international flamenco professionals.
In 2004, Simone coached and choreographed performers in Wicked Bodies - a co-production between Zen Zen Zo Theatre Company and La Boite Theatre Company. Since 2010, Simone has been engaged to teach flamenco for the Raw Dance Full-Time Professional Training Program. 2012 saw Simone take on the role of Dance Captain for Queensland Opera Queensland’s Carmen to rave reviews.
Stefania Gucciardo Reina (Dance)
After moving to Brisbane from Venezuela 7 years ago, Stefania joined Simone Pope’s Flamenco Studio to continue her study of flamenco dance. Now deeply ensconced in Brisbane’s dynamic flamenco community, Stefania recently completed her first tour with Jaleos Flamenco in 2022.
Andrew Veivers (Composer / Guitarist)
From the beginning, Andrew Veivers has combined the traditional study of flamenco with the formal training of the classical guitar. Building on his understanding and experiences within the flamenco idiom, Andrew has developed a very personal and clearly identifiable compositional style. His passion for both the classical and flamenco worlds of music, song, and dance have resulted in compositions that stylistically draw inspiration from greats as diverse as Manolo Sanlucar, Steve Reich, and Manuel de Falla while retaining a clearly individual lilt.
Andrew has enjoyed a long career as a touring concert artist. At venues ranging from Blenheim Palace (UK) to The Dillington Classical Guitar Festival (UK) to chamber music series' in The Netherlands, concerts in Japan, the South Pacific as well as at many venues and festivals throughout Australia, Andrew has appeared as a soloist, with his groups Jaleos Flamenco, Flamenco Fire and The Saruzu Quartet as well as guest director/composer/arranger/performer and producer for great Australian artistic institutions such as The Sydney Theatre Company, Opera Queensland and the Woodford Folk Festival to great critical acclaim.
Kacey Patrick (Voice)
Kacey Patrick is a unique and wondrous vocalist who has evolved her enigmatic sound over a variety of styles, including jazz, folk and world music. Kacey’s three-octave vocal range is a rare instrument. A conduit for the voice and sound, Kacey uses her vocal range and abilities to their full, combining sublime vocal intuition and beauty, with instinctive risk taking and vocal soundscapes. Her voice is not merely a communicator of words and lyrics. It is an instrument, both melodic and percussive, with which she creates an evocative and unique musical experience. Her passionate expression, captivating performance, vocal intuition and profound understanding of her instrument, often leads her audience on a deeply connected and bewitching journey where the boundaries between sound and emotion became blurred and indeterminate.
Andrew Shaw (Double Bass)
Andrew Shaw is a much in demand bassist who has performed in many of Australia’s leading jazz venues and festivals, as well as recording extensively. Andrew’s background encompasses a diverse range of styles, mostly in more contemporary music. His exceptional technique allows him to effortlessly produce solos that while being technically masterful, remain faithful to rhythmic and melodic elements. One critic has described Andrew’s style as “..at once musical and muscular”. Andrew has worked with such high-profile artists as James Morrison, Grace Knight, former Miles Davis side-men Dave Liebman and John Scofield, pianist Mike Nock, former Jazz Messenger saxophonist Dale Barlow, Verve recording artist Mark Sholtez, pop and cabaret stars Mandy Patinkin, Patti Lupone, Lea DeLaria, Sarah Blasko, and Rhonda Birchmore and the Queensland Philharmonic Orchestra.