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. Rueda Flamenco goes down to the roots of this collective, and highlights Jake “el Chinito” Lee, their brilliant accompanist. Jake has been studying and accompanying flamenco dance and song since 1997, and he has played for many flamenco groups in Victoria, Vancouver, and Calgary. Jake is a flamenco guitarist, singer, luthier, foodie, watch collector, and eccentric in that most endearing and irresistible way! This show is a fundraiser for Jake, to help him get back to the motherland of flamenco, so his many, many talents can be re-fueled at the source. When you buy your tickets, please consider making a donation to Jake right on this page!!! All funds will go directly to Jake for his upcoming study trip.