Rueda

Rueda is a Victoria-based Flamenco ensemble featuring some of the city’s finest musicians, singers and dancers. Drawing inspiration from legendary Flamenco artists, they use a collaborative approach to create new pieces together. The group explores Flamenco song and dance, occasionally fused with North African rhythms, to mix new interpretations and create original compositions.

Founded in 2011, Rueda began as a circle of singers and a guitarist who met regularly over wine and cheese, to share in the joy of the art form and develop singing skills. The process unfolded organically as each person took turns singing a letra or a palo. The idea of a wheel (Rueda in Spanish) emerged and seemed to best illustrate their process, as well as the many wheels of cheese consumed over time. The group expanded to include other instrumentation and dancers to create Flamenco performances presented at the Victoria International Flamenco Festival and other venues on Vancouver Island.