Homenaje para Briseyda is a celebration of her life and unwavering dedication to the art of Flamenco. This tribute honors how she inspired everyone to perform at their best, embodying passion and commitment to this beautiful art form. Through performances and heartfelt stories, we will remember her legacy and the profound impact she had on our lives and the Flamenco community. She gave everything to her craft, and her spirit will always be with us.
Briseyda was an extraordinary soul - a beloved daughter, sister, aunt, friend and a passionate artist who dedicated her life to Flamenco. A professional dancer, choreographer, teaching artist, and vocalist, Briseyda took pride in being a highly respected and admired member of the Flamenco community. She graced many stages around the world, captivating audiences with her strength, elegance, raw talent, and deep emotional expression. Briseyda’s artistry was not only a one of a kind performance - it was a bold, rare gift she shared generously and a reflection of her true spirit.
Forever Flamenco: Homenaje para Briseyda
Featuring
Guitar: Gerardo Morales
Singer: Antonio De Jerez
Singer: Reyes Barrios
Dancer: Vanessa Acosta
Dancer: Mizuho Sato
Dancer: Ryna Zermeño
Mizuho Sato
Born in Iwate, Japan, Mizuho Sato began her classical ballet training at the tender age of 2.5. Her early passion for dance led her to the Royal Ballet Academy in England for summer studies, but it was during her university years in Tokyo that she discovered flamenco, igniting a transformative journey. She honed her craft in Seville, studying with esteemed instructors before returning to Japan to perform in renowned tablaos.
Mizuho's talent was recognized at the age 20 by the Japanese Flamenco Association and the Ambassador of Spain. She further refined her skills in Spain, learning from luminaries such as Los Farrucos in Sevilla and at Amor de Dios in Madrid. Relocating to Los Angeles in 2003, she started showcasing her artistry at prominent venues including The Fountain Theatre, El CID, and the Ford Theatre, etc.
Mizuho founded her own company, Mizuho Sato Flamenco Company, in San Francisco in 2018. She has collaborated with influential artists and received accolades, including performances with the Los Angeles Opera's Carmen, as a featured soloist in the Isadora Duncan Award-winning production SOLAZ, and shared stages with legendary Spanish artists at Flamenco Arts Festival in Santa Barbara and Los Angeles International Flamenco Festival. In 2023 she got nominated for Isadora Duncan Awards “Outstanding Achievement- Individual Performance” with her own multi-genre choreography.
An educator at Stanford University and a multifaceted artist, Mizuho continues to enrich the cultural landscape with her dynamic creativity.
Gerardo Morales (GMorales)
Gerardo Morales (GMorales) is a guitarist, Drummer/percussionist, composer and
recording artist from Los Angeles who began playing music at the of twelve years old. He
began studying cajón with Peruvian cajónero Zarandonga and Latin percussion with
Ricardo Tikki Pasillas. He has traveled the world as a professional musician, performing
alongside such artists as Black Eyed Peas, Cristina Aguilera, Kanye West,, with Grammy
Winner Flamenco dancer Nino de los Reyes and Latin Grammy winner Flamenco guitarist
Virtuoso Antonio Rey. He was privileged to teach several master workshops for percussion
at the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and New England
Conservatory of Music in Boston, MA.
His early music studies began at Pasadena City College, The Pasadena Conservatory and
later Conservatorio Profesional de Música Cristóbal de Morales in Sevilla, Spain. He studied
privately with Kenton Youngstrom of the (Colburn School of Music) and Adam Delmonte of
(USC) Ron Berman (Occidental college). He continued his studies with highly regarded
Flamenco guitarists of Madrid (Spain) El Entri, Kilino Jimenez, Jesus de Rosario, and
Antonio Sanchez, nephew of the great Paco de Lucia. He recently returned from studying
with Granadas very own José Fermín Fernández .
He has released three contemporary collaborative albums - Dreaming Awake (G Morales),
and Burning Star (Burning Star, artist collective) G Morales Ep. Gerardo has performed with
many popular artists including members of the Carlos Santana Band, Linkin Park, Los
Rakas, Anderson. Paak, Marcus Miller, Talib Kwali, Jurassic 5, Rakim, Raekwon, Cypress
Hill, System of a Down, Saul Williams, , Ozomatli, Mos Def, KRS One, Kamasi Washington
and numerous other worthy acts. He is an essential member of LA’s Subsuelo, and under
his direction produces Classical, Flamenco, Latin, Hip Hop, R&B, and Pop shows throughout
the country.
G Morales has worked on films including Toy Story 3, Little Fockers, and Think Like a Man.
Vanessa Acosta
Vanessa was born in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico, which is where she spent her childhood. Her mother was the biggest influence in Flamenco, as she introduced Vanessa to the art from an early age and gave her an upbringing rich in music. It was then that she started to become familiar with cante and the very complex and unusual rhythms of Flamenco.
She began to study Flamenco dance at the age of 13 in El Paso, Texas with Rita Vega de Triana and Curro Niebla. After migrating to Southern California, studied with several well-known teachers in the area, Including Gabriela Garza, Jose Tanaka (guitarist), Jesus Montoya (singer), and Manuel Gutierrez. She frequently takes the opportunity to take workshops with artists from Spain.
Vanessa has toured Mexico with the Festival Internacional Cervantino, and Japan with Jose Tanaka's Soniquete Flamenco, also recording palmas for Jose's guitar album "Lluvia". She appeared in the Iron & Wine video on MTV's "Boy With A Coin", and in Mater TV's "Caminos Flamencos", with Yaelisa's San Francisco based company. She has also appeared in the annual Los Angeles Flamenco Festival, New World Flamenco Festival, Irvine Barclay Theatre, frequently at the Fountain Theatre's Forever Flamenco Series, Houston Flamenco Festival with Jesus Montoya Company, and Albuquerque Flamenco Festival.
Currently, Vanessa resides in Moreno Valley, California, and performs weekly at many tablaos and private venues in Southern California. She is considered by her colleagues to be captivating, inspirational dancer, and supportive, valuable compañera. She finds passion and fulfillment in teaching and sharing the art.
Reyes Barrios
REYES BARRIOS – (Dancer / Singer/ Director) Ms. Barrios began her career as a dancer surrounded by the sounds of her native Sevilla and Spain. Her professional career began in San Diego after her family relocated, and she has been a vibrant and important part of the Southern California flamenco community for over 30 years. Known for her raw and emotional dance style, she began singing for artists soon after and found her complete voice in flamenco. In demand among her peers, Reyes brings an authenticity and naturalness to every performance. She has performed with every artist of note on the West Coast.
Her performances are celebrated for their joy, pure expression and unique rawness among audiences where her love of flamenco as an art is fully realized. This love has also translated into her long teaching career in San Diego, where she has mentored and instructed dance students for decades in the all-around art of flamenco with the integrity of an artist that truly cares about the long lasting future of flamenco. As a singer/dancer, Reyes projects and imbibes the essence of flamenco as an expression of life, utilizing her own experiences of her childhood in Sevilla and translating it into her formation as an artist versed in the nuances and meanings of traditional and modern flamenco today.
Reyes Barrios has directed and fostered many important flamenco projects including as Programming Director of the Fountain Theatre’s Forever Flamenco project, which began again in 2025, and is widely considered an ambassador of flamenco in Southern California, earning the respect of many visiting artists from Spain.