Testimonials
Please read what our students, collaborators, and audiences have said about us!
Manuel Sanchez Ortega
​"I met Alma and Paul on stage years ago, and from the first moment I realized that they were different from the rest of the artists in the area. Paul plays the guitar as it is played in the birthplaces of flamenco, combining flamenco tradition in music but modernity in technique. Alma has a voice with a unique personality, and with a perfect staging of each song. Both are capable of filling the stage with all kinds of feelings, from the deepest and sentimental to the most joyful and festive. Today I am Paul's guitar student, and as a teacher he is a patient, happy, knowledgeable and challenging person. When I leave his classes I can't wait to get home to start practicing, and come back the following week to continue improving. In short, listening to them play and sing is a pleasure, and learning with Paul is a great luck."
Susie Hammaker
"Alma is a great music teacher! I worked with her to learn to play castanets and hope to start lessons again soon. She is a patient and knowledgeable teacher who doesn't mind going over the same piece of music many times. I'd never played castanets before, so she taught me technique as well as the history and palos of Flamenco. Lessons with Alma are rewarding and fun!"
Kevan “El Pelo”
Percussionist and artist manager from La Taberna del Alabardero
“It's always a pleasure to be on stage with Paul and Alma. Great energy and love for Flamenco”
Bohumira Smidakova, Teaching Assistant Professor, Georgetown University
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"The Department of Spanish and Portuguese, at Georgetown University, had the pleasure to host Aula de flamenco presented by ToruArt. Not only did the students learn about the complex history of this art, but they were also able to experience first hand the ‘toque’ and ‘cante’ by Paul and Alma. For some of them it was the first time they heard this sound, and they were left with goosebumps. The music transported us, enabling us not only to learn but also to feel flamenco. Super professional, but also very close and attentive to any questions the students could have, we will surely repeat in the future."
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Laura Bayon
Upper School Spanish teacher at Mcdonogh School, MD
"I have known Paul and Alma for over 20 years and Mariana and Kevan for the last year. I have seen them act on several occasions and I have seen them bring crowds to their feet, but I have never seen a crowd of teenagers rise with such emotion as when this Flamenco troupe came to perform at McDonogh School. Although I did know how talented the troupe was, I was also impressed by their ability to connect with kids of different ages, from teenagers, to middle and lower schoolers. Alma’s charm and personality when she sings, Mariana’s ability to connect with the audience while she dances, Paul’s knowledge of flamenco, passion and emotion when he plays the guitar and Kevan’s energy on the “cajón” made for an energizing, educational and entertaining experience. It truly is a joy to watch them! They left us wanting for more…"
Roger Platt
"The answer is Alma and Paul …. The question? Where could a novice fan turn to learn how Flamenco’s ancient gypsy infused singing, dancing and instrumentals work together to create a unique pull on my heartstring? Seven years later Alma - born in the heart of Flamenco country in Murcia, Spain…and Paul - a widely respected guitarist with deep training in traditional western and Flamenco music - have taken me on a journey unavailable anywhere else West or East of Andalucía, Extremadura or Murcia.
When I tell my friends I’m training to sing the great canon of flamenco songs from fandangos and tangos to the wild polyrhythms of the bulerias, they look at me with a mix of astonishment and envy. For those who know Paul and Alma, it will come as no surprise that they have presented me with the tools to participate directly in a sophisticated musical tradition as ancient as the gypsy culture itself."
Chris Hughes
Head of Garrison Forest School
"I would highly recommend Alma and Paul for a Flamenco performance for any school or group. They performed at Garrison Forest for students across three divisions, from lower through upper school. Engaging and entertaining students across such a broad spectrum of age and maturity is a tall order, but Paul and Alma were more than up to it! The performance was educational, energizing - and fun! Students (and teachers) learned so much about the dance and Flamenco culture - they are superstars!"
