Bárbara Martínez is a flamenco jazz nightclub singer based in New York City. She’s really talented in both vocals and dance and comes from a line of famous Latin American artists.
Barbara Martínez sings Spanish Flamenco at Addictive Wine and Tapas in Jackson Heights, Queens on Sat, Dec 4 at 8pm. Free. 🇻🇪🇦🇷🇪🇸
Barbara Martínez records personalized vinyl records that make very special holiday gifts, on Sun, Dec 5. Preorder only $20. 🇻🇪🇦🇷🇪🇸
Bárbara Martínez
Bárbara comes from a family of artists including Argentine tango singers/actresses Morenita Rey and Libertad Lamarque, and Venezuelan sculptor Rafael Martínez and Amelia Arenas.
She is descended from families of famous Argentine and Venezuelan artists, and has been singing in New York City since she was a child. It seems like she can sing everything. Singing in Spanish and Portuguese is tough. Both are similar, but both are different. We’ve known Bárbara for a long time, and are a bit awed at how her artistry keeps growing.
Martínez has been around New York City for a long time. She sang at the Metropolitan Opera as a child. Her flamenco group performed at Carnegie Hall.
Flamenco is American too
Being an American, Martínez understands rumba flamenca in her bones.
“Pure” Spanish flamenco is already a blend of Romani, Muslim, Jewish, African and Spanish influences. The Spanish colonizers brought the Spanish canción with them from their home port of Cádiz in Andalucía, Spain. It wasn’t flamenco yet, but was one of the roots.
The Spanish treasure galleons brought the sounds and rhythms of Havana, Cuba back to Spain. This is rumba flamenca. These are the cantes de ida y vuelta (roundtrip songs).
This is Bárbara’s world. She blends South American, Middle Eastern and Sephardic music with jazz. She even sings bossa nova in Brazilian Portuguese.
This is who we are as New Yorkers. We use the old labels Venezuelan, Argentine, Spanish, whatever; but once you live in New York City, you are not really that any more. You are a New Yorker.
Bárbara Martínez is an embodiment of New York City. She mixes the blends together in a really beautiful way.
Past Shows
Bárbara sings flamenco and bossa nova gigs around town. These are just of few of her past shows.
Barbara Martínez sings Flamenco for Alegrías at La Nacional in Chelsea on Sat, Nov 27 at 8pm. 🇻🇪🇦🇷🇪🇸
Barbara Martínez sings flamenco jazz at Drom in the East Village on Thu, Sep 30 at 7pm (6:30pm doors). $10 🇻🇪🇦🇷
Direct-to-Vinyl Live Session
Leesta Vall recording studio in Greenpoint, Brooklyn started a project to capture the pandemic moment in New York City history by cutting one-of-a-kind records direct from livestreamed studio performances of New York artists.
Bárbara will record a song for you live and direct-to-vinyl from Leesta Vall recording studio on Father’s Day, Sunday, June 20, 2021. You pick the song: “Cartageneras,” “Guajiras,” or “Sun & Rain.” Every 7″ record is a one-of-a-kind and begins with your personal message. You must preorder at leestavall.com $25
This is really cool. A decade from now, your personal recording will be a cool memento of this moment in New York City.
What a great Father’s Day gift. Many of today’s fathers and grandfathers where young in the age of vinyl records.
Saturday, March 14, 2020 ~ Martínez sings and dances Spanish flamenco, and perhaps some Brazilian bossa nova at Club Bonafide in Midtown East, NYC at 9pm. $20
Friday, December 13, 2019 ~ Martínez sings Spanish flamenco for Xianix Barrera’s monthly Tablao Flamenco El Barrio at El Barrio Artspace PS109 in East Harlem, NYC at 8pm. From $20
Thursday, November 7, 2019 ~ Bárbara Martínez and Arturo Martínez sing Spanish and Latin American flamenco to benefit the World Music Institute at Clara Aich Studio (a photographer’s studio) in Kips Bay, NYC at 6:30pm. $75