Linda Gentille starts in “ Linda Goes Latin “ at the Middle Township PAC

The show “Linda Goes Latin” is being presented to celebrate Cinco de Mayo and will feature the most popular musical selections from Mexico, Italy, and Latin America. Songs featured in the performance will include Tico Tico, La Comparsita Tango, O Sole Mio, Girl from Ipanema, Sorrento, Spanish Eyes, Amor, Begin the Beguine and Gentille’s popular piano showstopper flamenco of Malaguena. In addition, the flamenco dance and guitar team will present authentic music of Spain. The first 100 ticket purchasers of a pair of tickets to the concert will receive the brand new musical CD “ Flamenco Fire.”

The show will feature extraordinary flamenco dancer Anna Rubio. Rubio began her training in dance and music at age four. Anna moved to San Francisco in 1982, continuing her modern training with several teachers, including Lucas Hoving and Ed Mock, and commencing her flamenco studies with Rosa Montoya (of the important Montoya Gypsy clan) and with the late Maestro Cruz Luna. By 1986 she was a member of Theatre Flamenco of San Francisco under the direction of Miguel Santos and Adela Clara, performing throughout the Bay Area. Anna was awarded an Artistic Fellowship for the year 2001 from the Independence Foundation and a Leeway Grant for 2004. Anna is also Flamenco Editor and critic of the Dance Insider.

Joining Gentille and Rubio, is world renowned flamenco guitarist Hipolito ( Tito) Rubio. Flamenco guitarist Hipolito (Tito) Rubio was born in 1954 in Monsagro, Spain, a small village in western Salamanca, about thirty miles from the border with Portugal. From 1986 through the early 1990s, Rubio immersed himself in flamenco life, taking every opportunity to observe and participate in classes, performances, and flamenco gatherings in fiestas and bars. One of his principal teachers at this time was Juan Maya Marote, of the famous Marote gypsy clan, and Rubio says that to this day, other guitarists recognize Marote¹s style in his playing, particularly in his strong rasqueados , a particular type of strum-flourish that uses all the fingers. He also studied with David Serva, an American who has been accepted as an authentic player among flamencos in Spain.

In 1995 he toured the United States and worked for several months with Maria Benitez’ Teatro Flamenco in New Mexico. It was on this trip that he met his wife and artistic partner, Philadelphia native Anna Arias Rubio. Tito was awarded an Artistic Fellowship for Folk and Traditional Arts by the PA Council for the Arts for 2004, and a Pew Fellowship in the Arts for 2004. Tito was Musician-in-residence at the Philadelphia Folklore Project for 2003-2004. Tito is also co-musical director, with Roger Mgrdichian, of Herencia Arabe.

Gentille has performed in Latin countries around the world and grew in California. Gentille is multi-lingual and speaks nine languages, with Spanish being her second language. She has performed on numerous television shows in Spain and Mexico, as well as being a frequent regular on Puerta Rican Panorama in Philadelphia. Gentille has a unique piano technique which she uses on Latin songs called “ Flamenco Piano.” It is an incredibly fast style which replicates the sounds of flamenco guitar. It has prompted many critics to call Gentille “ the fastest fingers in the world.”

Tickets to “ Linda Goes Latin” can be purchased by calling the box office at 609 463-1924. Tickets are $18 adults and $15 seniors and children under 12. The first 100 purchasers of a pair of tickets will receive a free CD called Flamenco Fire. This is Gentille’ s newest CD containing all the most popular Latin songs that will be performed in the show. To receive a voucher for this free CD, please call the box office at the above number before May 1.