Flamenco at Customs House

The producers of Puerto Flamenco will this year be premiering their internationally acclaimed spectacle from the heart of Seville featuring five of the finest flamenco artists with Carmelilla Montaya as a special guest star.

The open-air event will take place at Customs House quay near Grand Harbour, in Valletta, on Saturday and Sunday.

Carmelilla Montaya will be joined by gypsy dancer Amador Rojas and Francesca Grima. Other performers will be award-winning singers Quisko De Alcala and José "El Tremendo", the team of gypsy guitarist Joselito Acedo and percussionist Andrej Vujicic.

The Puerto Flamenco 2006 was launched at a press conference at Customs House by Tourism and Culture Minister Francis Zammit Dimech yesterday in the presence of Spanish Ambassador Marta Vilardell Coma.

"Cultural relations strengthen ties with other nations. The EU was built on a diversity of cultures, identities and productions such as Puerto Flamenco 2006 which helped strengthen our ties with Spain, another European member state," Dr Zammit Dimech said.

Such productions contributed towards the promotion of Malta as a tourist destination. Malta and Spain had a lot in common and this should be exploited to the full in the interest of both countries, he said.