The historical connections between Germany, Flanders, and the Spanish Reform movement of the 16th Century provide an intriguing contextual background for Mr. Marlow’s research into the formal structures of the Flamenco song forms of Andalucía. In his work he has uncovered possible connections to the namesake "Flemish" style polyphony of the Renaissance, and specifically the related chorale motet forms of Germany. In his presentation he will attempt to unravel the long-standing mysteries surrounding Flamenco's origins using new evidence, and present a re-examination of the previous explanations of Flamenco's emergence in the 19th Century.
Ricardo Marlow is a highly sought-after solo Flamenco guitarist and one of today’s premiere accompanists for flamenco cante y baile. He received a degree from James Madison University School of Music in 1997, and subsequently took up the flamenco guitar, studying with master Gerardo Núñez in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Spain. In 1997 Mr. Marlow began playing professionally as an accompanist for singers such as Silverio Heredia, Cuquito de Barbate, Amparo Heredia, Esperanza Fernandez, Jesus Montoya, and many others. He has played in theaters around the globe including the Kennedy Center, Baltimore Museum of Art, Hollywood's Ford Amphitheatre, Instituto Cervantes and the Pritzker Auditorium in Chicago, Washington DC's Gala Hispanic Theater and National Gallery of Art, and Rubén Darío National Theatre in Nicaragua. He has composed original flamenco music for many flamenco dance companies, including Flamenco Aparicio, Arte Flamenco, and Flamenco Pastora, and has accompanied renowned dancers including Elli "La Truco,” Nelida Tirado, Edwin Aparicio, Domingo Ortega, Carmela Greco, Sergio Aranda, Norberto Chamizo, Carlos Menchaca, “La Tati," Jose Jimenez “El Bocadillo,” Antonio Jimenez “El Porras,” and Basillio Garcia Clavero. Ricardo was also a featured artist in the 2013 flamenco documentary "Sobre La Olas," by Carolina