Rosalinda “Chayito” Champion belongs to one of the families most closely associated with the history of flamenco in San Antonio. The daughter of Teresa Champion and guitarist Willie “El Curro” Champion, she grew up inside the art form rather than encountering it later as a profession. Flamenco was part of the household, the family business and the cultural life that surrounded her from childhood.

Champion developed as both a singer and dancer, but her voice has become one of her most recognizable artistic signatures. She has toured internationally and performed with artists including José Greco and Pilar Rioja. Her engagements have included Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center in New York, alongside San Antonio stages. Her career connects the city’s mid-century flamenco history with the living practice of the art today.

In San Antonio, Champion has continued that work through performance, teaching and cultural preservation. She leads Los Flamencos de San Antonio, maintaining a presence in the city’s live music and dance community. WeFlamenco Fest highlighted her production Círculo de Piedras in 2022, recognizing her work as a vocalist and producer within the festival’s programming.

Teaching has carried her experience into schools, studios and community programs. Her teaching history includes the City of San Antonio, Teresa Champion Dance Academy, Harlandale ISD and youth programs. She has taught flamenco and folklórico at Saint Mary’s Hall, where she began in 2018.

What distinguishes Champion’s place in San Antonio flamenco is the length and breadth of her own participation. She has lived through several eras of the city’s flamenco history and continues to contribute to its present. Texas Folklife’s inaugural 2026 convening lists her as a featured cante artist, placing her work within a broader statewide conversation about living traditions and cultural preservation.

In 2024, Rosalinda “Chayito” Champion was inducted into the San Antonio Women’s Hall of Fame in Creative Arts, recognition of a career sustained through performance, education and service to the art.

For WeFlamenco Fest, Champion offers a direct living connection to the artists who helped establish flamenco as part of San Antonio’s cultural identity. Her voice, teaching and productions carry that history forward through work that is distinctly her own.

Selected career highlights: International performances with artists including José Greco and Pilar Rioja; appearances at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center; leadership of Los Flamencos de San Antonio; teaching in San Antonio schools and community programs; WeFlamenco Fest presentation of Círculo de Piedras (2022); induction into the San Antonio Women’s Hall of Fame in Creative Arts (2024).

Listen to Chayito’s recording and view her online exhibition · Explore Artist Profiles

Biographical sources: San Antonio Women’s Hall of Fame; Saint Mary’s Hall; Texas Folklife; San Antonio Current.