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MELÓN JIMÉNEZ & LARA WONG
NOMADIC FLAMENCO JAZZ
FAST FACTS
GENRE : Flamenco, Instrumental, Global Folk
SOUNDS LIKE : Shakti, Jorge Pardo, Ketama, Paco de Lucía
LOCATION: Madrid, Spain / Vancouver, Canada
TOURING MEMBERS: 2-4 people
ABOUT
Melón Jiménez & Lara Wong are redefining flamenco with a sound that flows through cultures, genres, and times. Rooted in flamenco and tinted with jazz, their music echoes flamenco’s nomadic roots—from India to Africa to Latin America. Together, they share a unique musical dialogue—between the Indian bansuri and the flamenco guitar—that is at once mysterious, bold, and passionate.
Since coming together in Madrid in 2021, Lara and Melón have performed over 100 concerts across four continents, captivating audiences across Europe, North America, Asia and, Africa. They have graced world-renowned stages including the National Arts Centre, Blue Note Shanghai, Suma Flamenca, Helsinki Flamenco FEstival, and SunFest. In October 2024, they released their debut album, which received critical acclaim and was nominated for a JUNO Award for Instrumental Album of the Year—one of Canada's highest music honors.
Lara Wong, a Canadian flutist and bansuri player of Chinese and Japanese heritage, is a trailblazer in the flamenco world. After graduating from McGill University with a degree in classical and jazz performance, she immersed herself in the flamenco tradition in Andalusia. In 2021, she made history as the first woman and first foreigner to win the prestigious Filón Minero award for Best Flamenco Instrumentalist at the Festival Internacional del Cante de las Minas in Spain. Today, she is celebrated for her groundbreaking work integrating the Indian bansuri into flamenco music.
Jiménez’s flamenco roots run deep; he learned the guitar from his father, a Gitano (Spanish Roma) guitarist from Jerez de la Frontera, the birthplace of flamenco. His mother, a German classical pianist, brought another musical world into the home. These rich influences, combined with his boundless musical curiosity, led him to tour with renowned artists across genres, including Anoushka Shankar, Enrique Morente, Richard Bona, Niña Pastori, and Jorge Pardo.
THE RESULT IS STUNNING; IT IS FLUID, IT IS SENSUAL AND FULLY EMBODIES THE SPIRIT OF FLAMENCO: VIRTUOSITY AND PASSION.
— CBC RADIO-CANADA
A JOURNEY THROUGH DISTANT CORNERS OF THE WORLD, DESOLATE PLACES AND DREAMLIKE MEMORIES — WHERE JAZZ WAS SAVORED, FLAMENCO EMBRACED THE SOUL, AND BANSURI FLUTE MELODIES GENTLY CARRIED IT ADRIFT. — ORDMOSE.DK
MELÓN JIMÉNEZ IS A GUITARIST TO WATCH. HE HAS AN ALLURING STYLE THAT PRESENTS PRODIGIOUSLY PERFORMED, MASTERFULLY CRAFTED COMPOSITIONS, EXPOSING GUITAR COMPLEXITIES AND A SKILL FOR BRIDGING TRADITION AND MODERNITY
— DEFLAMENCO
EMANATING ON-STAGE MAGNETISM AND ARTISTIC TALENT — HISTORIA DE UN AMOR: FLAMENCO JAZZ
LARA AND MELÓN'S MUSIC IS SOPHISTICATED, SOMETIMES COMPLEX, SOMETIMES CONTEMPLATIVE AND ZEN — BUT ALWAYS BEAUTIFUL.
— ROOTS MUSIC CANADA
FROM RHYTHMICALLY DRIVEN AND GRIPPING SOLO PARTS TO ATMOSPHERIC SOUNDSCAPES, THEIR MUSIC BREATHES THE SPIRIT OF FLAMENCO, LEAVES OUT TRADITIONAL ELEMENTS LIKE PALMAS, AND OPENS ITSELF TO THE WORLD — FREE OF MUSICAL BLINDERS.
— GOODTIMES MAGAZIN
A JAZZ FUSION PROJECT THAT ALSO BRINGS TOGETHER OTHER SOUNDS, CREATING A DIALOGUE BETWEEN MUSICAL TRADITIONS AND REVEALING EACH STYLE AS UNIVERSAL.
— LA ESTRATEGIA DEL CARACOL
HIGHLIGHTS
SOME PERFORMANCE HIGHLIGHTS
National Arts Centre, Canada
Vancouver Folk Festival, Canada
Mariposa Festival , Canada
Sunfest, Canada
Folk Alliance, Canada
Helsinki Flamenco Festival, Finland
Viften, Denmark
Værket, Denmark
Instituto Cervantes Bremen, Germany
Suma Flamenca, Spain
Festival de Musica Española Cadiz,Spain
Real Alcazar de Sevilla, Spain
AC Recoletos, Spain
Bluenote Shanghai, China
Taipei Performing Arts Centre, Taiwan
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS
Instrumental Album of the Year - 2025 JUNO AWARDS
FILON MINERO (1st prize flamenco instrumentalist) - 2021 Festival Cante de las minas
Confluencias #4 en la Lista LIMuR