Genevieve Obregón and Matthew Guerra bring eight months of mentorship to the stage in a celebration of flamenco, tradition and the future of the art form.
Dance
What does it mean to pass a tradition forward?
For flamenco, the answer has always been deeply personal. Knowledge moves from teacher to student, from one generation to another, through the body, the music and the shared experience of performance.
That tradition of transmission comes to the stage in Sol y Sombra, the culminating showcase of Genevieve Obregón and Matthew Guerra’s participation in the Texas Folklife Apprenticeship Program.
For eight months, Obregón served as Guerra’s mentor, teaching him the art of traditional flamenco tablao through the program’s one-on-one apprenticeship model.
Keeping a Living Tradition Alive
The Texas Folklife Apprenticeship Program supports Texas artists and tradition bearers whose knowledge represents the state’s living cultural heritage. This year, seven mentor-apprentice groups were selected to work in traditions ranging from Texas Conjunto accordion to Afro-Puerto Rican Bomba. Obregón and Guerra were honored to represent flamenco.
Geographic Reference
The importance of an apprenticeship like this goes beyond learning steps or memorizing choreography. Flamenco is an embodied tradition. Its knowledge is carried through rhythm, posture, musicality, improvisation and the relationship between dancer, singer and guitarist. Much of that knowledge is transmitted directly—artist to artist, teacher to student.
The apprenticeship gave Obregón and Guerra the time and resources to engage in that process. Sol y Sombra is the result.
For the culminating performance, the apprentice-mentor duo will share the stage with Drea Pacot on dance, Randy Cordero on guitar, and Chayito Champion on vocals. Champion is also an alumna of the Texas Folklife Apprenticeship Program.
Remembering Sonia Chapa
The evening will also carry a note of remembrance.
Obregón and Guerra are dedicating Sol y Sombra to Sonia Chapa, honoring her contribution to the flamenco community of South Texas and remembering the legacy she leaves behind.
Dance
That dedication gives the performance another layer of meaning. A tradition survives not simply because it is taught, but because people remember those who came before them—and continue the work.
From Mentor to Apprentice
For Obregón and Guerra, the Texas Folklife grant created an opportunity to pass knowledge within and between communities while helping ensure that traditional flamenco remains part of the cultural landscape for the next generation.
The result is not simply a final performance. It is a moment in a much longer chain of transmission.
Sol y Sombra offers audiences the chance to see that process come alive onstage: a mentor sharing what she knows, an apprentice carrying it forward, and a community gathering around a tradition that continues to evolve while remaining connected to its roots.
The Details
Sol y Sombra
Genevieve Obregón & Matthew Guerra
Featuring Drea Pacot, Randy Cordero & Chayito Champion
Presented through the Texas Folklife Apprenticeship Program
Producer: GO Flamenca
Geographic Reference
WeFlamenco Fest highlights the artists, performances and traditions shaping flamenco in Texas.
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