MYSTIC FLOWER PERFORMANCE SERIES
INAUGURATES WITH
FLOR DE SERENA
VANESSA PALOMA, VOICE, MEDIEVAL HARP
JORDAN CHARNOFSKY, GUITAR
CON GRAN PLACER SEÑORES GIBRALTAR
TUS OJICOS JOYA MIA SOFÍA
MORENA SOS DAMA JERUSALÉN
ALTA, ALTA ES LA LUNA TURQUÍA
WAL VIVA VIVA ITALIA
CON AYUDA DEL DIOS ALTO TETUÁN
HIJICA DILE A TU MAMÁ TURQUÍA
LAVABA y SUSPIRAVA ADRIANÓPOLI
YO M'ENAMORÍ DE UN AIRE BULGARIA
CUANDO EL REY NIMROD TURQUÍA
PAXARICO SOS MI ALMA JERUSALÉN
LA CAÍDA DE HAMAN SALÓNICA
LA VIDA DO POR EL RAKÍ TURQUIA
MARCH 12, 2006
3PM
MYSTIC FLOWER LOFT
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES
MYSTIC FLOWER PERFORMANCE SERIES IS HOSTED BY VANESSA PALOMA. THIS PERFORMANCE SERIES IS INSPIRED BY THE VISION OF THE MYSTIC FLOWER AS A GOLDEN BLOSSOM OF GREAT POWER WHOSE BEAUTY IS INTOXICATING BECAUSE IT IS A REFLECTION OF DIVINE BEAUTY. IT IS THE METAPHOR FOR THE JOURNEY TOWARD PURITY THAT BRINGS US EVER CLOSER TO THE PRIMAL UNITY OF THE COSMOS. THIS PERFORMANCE SERIES WILL USE DIFFERENT ART FORMS AND TRADITIONS TO EXPLORE AND ENLIVEN OUR AWARENESS OF HOW CLOSE WE ARE TO MYSTICAL ECSTASY.
FLOR DE SERENA
Founded by singer Vanessa Paloma and guitarist Jordan Charnofsky in 2001, FLOR DE SERENA is a professional musical ensemble established to explore the wide Judeo-Spanish heritage of poetry and song. The repertoire, gathered from traditional sources as well as field research, is performed in an evocative, expressive style. Vanessa and Jordan keep alive unique texts and melodies, which have passed down through generations of the Sephardic Diaspora. FLOR DE SERENA has performed throughout Southern California at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre, The Gene Autry Museum of Western Heritage, the Craft and Folk Arts Museum, The Brandeis Bardin Institute and Wilshire Boulevard Temple among others. They released their first CD in early 2005. Based in Los Angeles, California, FLOR DE SERENA is available to travel for concert performances and special engagements. For booking or CDs, please e-mail cantos@vanessapaloma.com Please visit www.flordeserena.com to listen to streaming music.
VANESSA PALOMA
has performed as a soloist throughout the United States, Israel, the Orient and South America. She co-founded Flor de Serena with guitarist Jordan Charnofsky. Recent performances include UC Berkeley, the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre as part of the World Festival for Sacred Music, at the Southern Theatre in Minneapolis, at Sephardic Temple Tifereth Israel and at the San Fernando Mission. She has toured Sephardic Songs of the Sea, a solo show combining Ladino songs and Kabbalistic teachings. Paloma recently started a performance series called Mystic Rower in a loft in Downtown Los Angeles' flower district. From 1999 to 2003 she was the Founding Artistic Director of the SYNERGY ensemble, a contemporary performing ensemble of the Center for Jewish Culture and Creativity. Paloma has been a soloist with Long Beach Opera, Camerata Paciftca Baroque, Ensemble Nuance (Jerusalem) and the St. Paul Early Music Society among others. The Righteous Persons Foundation, Sephardic Education Center, The Maurice Amado Foundation and the California Council for the Humanities have been some supporters of her work. In addition to performance and teaching, she has written for OLAM magazine and "Pray Tell" a book from Hadassah on women's prayer. Paloma began her musical studies at the San Juan Children' Choir in Puerto Rico and later at the Andes University in Bogotá. Paloma studied at Indiana Universitys School of Music receiving a Master of Music in Early Music performance, specializing in medieval Spain. Her focus is traditional and religious music from mystical traditions and its interface with contemporary expression. She is currently writing a book on Ladino music as a form of traditional women's expression.
JORDAN CHARNOFSKY
The Los Angeles Times has described Jordan Charnofsky as playing the classical guitar with "lucid grace," "a sure hand," "expressive range," and "bravura." Classical Guitar magazine has said, "Jordan Charnofsky may well take his place among the California guitar stars...a wonder to see and hear." Guitar Player magazine has called him "an amazing classical guitarist and composer." Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Classical Guitar Performance from the USC Thornton School of Music; A warded Outstanding Doctoral Degree Graduate of the USC School of Music in 1997; Musical Artist-inResidence at the Brandeis-Bardin Institute from 1995 to 2004; Featured soloist with symphony orchestras, on T.V. shows, in the Playboy Jazz Festival, and performances in Japan and Russia; Since 2003 has served as the guitarist/mandolinist for the L.A. Opera Orchestra; Accompanied tenor Luciano Pavarotti onstage in Staples Center in front of 10,000 people with the L.A. Opera Orchestra; For six years in a row was a live classical guitar entertainer at the Academy Awards (Oscars) in Los Angeles; Taught guitar and music for The USC Thornton School of Music, The L.A. Jewish Symphony, The University of Judaism, and Cerritos College; Currently on the music faculty at Moorpark College; Produced CDs for both Hollywood Klezmer band and Ror de Serena; Published composer with the Columbia Music Co. and Sony Music; Please visit his website at www.JordanGuitar.com.