The Artist Series Presents Benise 10/24 In Jacksonville

2009 marks the year Spanish guitarist BENISE unveils his Emmy award winning electrifying multi-cultural stage show NIGHTS OF FIRE! Backed by a stage full of musicians and elaborately choreographed dancers, NIGHTS OF FIRE! captures world music at its best, with a show that appeals to the hearts and souls of people of all ages, cultures and musical backgrounds. Benise brings his amazing guitar virtuoso prowess to Jacksonville on Saturday, October 24, 2009 at 8:00 PM to the Times Union Center's Moran Theater for one performance only!

‘NIGHTS OF FIRE' is an unprecedented and spectacular adventure through Spanish Flamenco, Cuban Salsa, African Tribal Rhythms, Argentinean Tango, and Brazilian Samba, brings a new level of originality to live performance. As composer, guitarist and creative force behind the event, BENISE (pronounced Buh-nes-say) says the show's ambition is "to take people on a musical journey. I wanted to push the boundaries of traditional Flamenco/Spanish guitar while combining the elements of dance and theater. This show is a celebration of culture--the culmination of all the shows we've done over the last five years."

Launching nationally on PBS, NIGHTS OF FIRE! blends BENISE's innovative vision with the creative minds of director Amy Tinkham (Paul McCartney, Dixie Chicks, Madonna, Britney Spears), Brazilian-born choreographer Alex Magno (Madonna, Ballet Hispanico, Academy Awards), and costume designer Erin "Topaz" Laurue (Blossom, Grounded for Life and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno), whose breathtaking, couture costume design for NIGHTS OF FIRE! won an Emmy Award® for Outstanding Costumes for a Variety or Music Program, above fellow-nominee Dancing with the Stars. BENISE reports that "the response from people all over the country has been overwhelming."

Throughout NIGHTS OF FIRE!, the traditions of music and dance are reinvented by BENISE's performers on a lavishly decorated stage. The dancers in NIGHTS OF FIRE! were carefully handpicked from a global pool of some of the most brilliantly diverse talent to be found. Traditional Flamenco dancers, De La Guarda performers, Broadway performers have all joined forces to make up BENISE's female dancers, "The Gitanas." Breathtaking couture fashion and innovative staging and choreography give Spanish dance a fresh and luminous makeover.

"This is a great show for the whole family; I really think we have something for everyone," comments BENISE. "I hope people will be inspired--by our story, by the music, by the production--and have the passion to follow their own dreams." Looking ahead to future tour dates, BENISE adds, "I can't wait to travel to new cities, meet new people, and play every night--it's what I live for."

BENISE BIO

Rarely is an artist capable of touching the hearts and souls of people of all ages, cultures, and diverse musical backgrounds as BENISE. Armed with his Spanish guitar and an amazing world class band of musicians, Benise pushes the boundaries of traditional Flamenco/Spanish guitar.

Since the age of eleven (when he received his first guitar), BENISE practiced relentlessly, completely self-taught, mastering a variety of different styles that were eventually to become his own unique sound. Though unable to read a single note, he began composing original works with powerfully emotional arrangements that are both wild and refined, producing a sound that is as edgy and exotic as it is romantic and sensual.

"I'm always inspired by places I've traveled," says BENISE, "so I'll try to capture the essence and beauty of the different places in my melodies. It's truly like painting on air--creating colors and lush soundscapes that take people (and me) away to a safe place with no prejudice and no boundaries."

Leaving his family and friends to move 1500 hundred miles away from home to Los Angeles with nothing more than his guitar, he held in his heart the encouragement from his parents to "work hard and have faith."

After being turned down by almost every club in Los Angeles, BENISE started performing on the streets. It was not uncommon for BENISE to put on over 200 shows a year, sometimes playing 2 to 3 events in a single day. Tourists from around the world and native Angelinos alike took to BENISE like the "Pied Piper" of Spanish guitar. From there, the path of his music took on a life of its own, effortlessly opening doors along the way to attract musicians, dancers and cirque performers, eventually creating the extended family that is now known simply as his namesake, "BENISE."

BENISE started to promote his own concerts, selling out 2,000 seat theaters through Southern California. A natural performer, BENISE held audiences captive with exotic drums, Gypsy violin, Flamenco dancers, Cirque performers, Brazilian Samba dancers and percussionists, African tribal drummers, Havana horns, and brilliant theatrical lighting work together to create and unforgettable experience.

In addition to organizing stunning live shows, BENISE took his career by the reins by producing, arranging and releasing seven albums on his own independent record label, Rosanegra Music, plus two DVDs on Rosanegra Films. The recordings capture the expressive Spanish guitar arrangements that stem from influences around the world, carrying listeners to such culturally rich destinations as Spain, Africa, Brazil, the Mediterranean, Cuba, France and Egypt. "It's almost like writing a soundtrack to a movie," notes BENISE, "but a lot of my songs tell a story so they're perfect for the stage."

BENISE will perform at the TIMES UNION CENTER'S MORAN THEATER Saturday, October 24, 2009 at 8:00 PM for one performance only. Tickets range in price from $30.50 to $80.50. Discounts are available for groups of 10+, 40+, or 60+ by calling (904) 632-3228.

To order by phone with Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover call The Artist Series Box Office at (904) 632-3373 (toll-free outside of Jacksonville 1-888-860-BWAY.)

Tickets are also available online with Instant Seat Selection by visiting the

The Artist Series' website, www.artistseriesjax.org.