The legend of the Wilis took hold within European society in the nineteenth century. The ghosts of young maidens deserted by lovers on their wedding night, the Wilis held a dangerous grudge against all men and were known for torturing them in the shadowy forests of the German Rhineland. Drawing from romantic era themes of exoticism and the supernatural, Giselle is the…
Music
Citywide ‘We Flamenco Fest’ Kicks Off with Fashion Show
The origins of the modern flamenco dress trace back nearly two centuries to Seville’s Feria de Abril, where gypsy women wore inexpensive calico dresses accentuated by layers of ruffles. As flamenco moved from the original gypsy communities and into Spain’s cafés cantantes in the second half of the 19th century, its costumes became more extravagant. Today, flamenco…
Guitar Virtuoso Kaki King Brings Jazz-Tinged Melodies to Tobin Center
Composer and guitarist Kaki King will perform at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts on Friday, September 15. The out musician, who has been hailed as “a genre onto herself” by Rolling Stone magazine, is touring in support of her latest album Live at Berkley which is due out September 22. Over the past…
R&B Singer Deborah Cox Stars in ‘The Bodyguard’ at the Majestic
It’s a case of life imitating art. In the 2000 single Same Script, Different Cast by Whitney Houston and Deborah Cox, the two women sing about a philandering partner who has led their relationship awry. “I was his star for many nights,” Houston tells Cox. “Now the roles have changed and you’re the leading lady in his…
Luis Fonsi will Bring ‘Love and Dance’ Tour to Majestic
While the Trump administration was busy enacting its anti-immigrant policies, the biggest song of the summer was Luis Fonsi’s Despacito. Featuring reggaeton star Daddy Yankee, Despacito is now the most streamed song in the history of the internet and the first Spanish language single to reach the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart since the Macarena…
Janet Jackson Brings Revamped ‘State Of The World’ Tour to AT&T Center
In 2015, it seemed Janet Jackson was poised for a major comeback. After debuting atop the Billboard 200 albums chart with her tenth studio album Unbreakable, Jackson embarked on her Unbreakable world tour. However, that tour was postponed just four months in due to health issues and Jackson’s pregnancy at age 50. The singer promised…
José Rubén De León Reprises His Federico García Lorca Tribute at Classic Theatre
With his 1932 play Blood Wedding and collection of poems Poet in New York (published in 1940), Federico García Lorca became one of Spain’s most revered poets and dramatists during the 20th century. But his influence far exceeds the world of literature. Lorca was part of a group of artists known as La Generacion del ’27, which included filmmaker Luis Buñuel and artist Salvador Dalí. In the 1930s, Lorca explored…
Alison Bechdel’s Lesbian Tragicomedy ‘Fun Home’ Comes to Life on Tobin Stage
Originally published in the San Antonio Current. Lesbian author and cartoonist Alison Bechdel is a true gem of the LGBTQ community. Since coming out in 1980, she has advocated for LGBTQ equality and self-acceptance in her own, truly unique way. Bechdel’s greatest claim to fame, the best-selling graphic memoir Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic, is…
Gente de Zona Bring Cuban Reggaeton to SA
In the music video for Gente de Zona’s 2015 dance anthem La Gozadera, a traffic jam leads motorists to abandon their cars for an impromptu dance party on the streets of Havana. In a display of pure joy and cultural pride, Latinos in every shade of brown are depicted dancing atop cars and waving flags…
Alyson Alonzo Sheds Light on Her Musical Roots and Her Debut EP The Romantic
It’s not exactly a surprise that Alyson Alonzo names Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald as some of her main musical influences. With a voice as big as the legends that inspired her, the 30-year-old, openly gay musician has become a well-known name in San Antonio’s indie-music circuit. From killing her set at Maverick Music Festival…