Antonia Cruz Arias, flamenco cantaora (singer), was born in 1988 in San Francisco. Her paternal grandmother was California-born Spanish singer Elena Acevedo. Ms. Cruz Arias was raised in the world of flamenco, but began her formal music and dance training in the classical tradition at age four. She studied classical and jazz technique at the Catholic Institute, flamenco cante (singing) at the Fundación Cristina Heeren de Arte Flamenco in Seville, Spain, and flamenco dance in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain. She has also studied intensively with Jesus Montoya, a Roma singer from Seville.
Ms. Cruz Arias has sung for many important artists, such as Antonio Hidalgo, Nelida Tirado and Edwin Aparicio, and has shared the stage with other singers including Rocio Soto from Jerez, Spain, Alfonso Cid from Seville and Marcos Marin. She has also been the singer for the classes of La Chiqui de Jerez. Ms. Cruz Arias sings for all performances of Flamenco del Encuentro and the Herencia Arabe Project. When she was a student at St. Joseph’s University, she performed in the Folklore Project’s Dance Happens Here program in December 2007 and is featured in PFP’s 2007 documentary photo exhibition All That We Do.
