Bárbara Mártinez is a busy Spanish flamenco and Brazilian bossa nova performer.
Bárbara Martínez in New York City
Spanish Flamenco
Bárbara Martínez sings and dances Spanish flamenco tablao for Flamenco Tuesdays; at Sala Astoria, a Spanish tapas bar in the World Artisan Market in Astoria, Queens; on Tuesdays in December 2023, from 7-9pm. 🇦🇷 🇻🇪 🇪🇸
Bárbara Martínez
She sang at the Metropolitan Opera as a child and has performed flamenco at Carnegie Hall.
Bárbara comes from a family of artists including Argentine tango singers/actresses Morenita Rey and Libertad Lamarque, Venezuelan sculptor Rafael Martínez and art historian Amelia Arenas.
It seems like Bárbara can sing everything well. Speaking both Spanish and Portuguese well is hard. 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.
New York Venues
- Bronx Music Heritage Center
- Carnegie Hall
- City Winery
- Mercado Little Spain
- Metropolitan Opera
- Sala Astoria salarestaurants.com
- Thalia Spanish Theatre
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 blends traditions in a really beautiful way.
For tickets and more information, visit barbaramartinez.com