MELINDA HEDGECORTH

Melinda has lived the last 14 years in one of the capital cities of flamenco and sister city to KC, Sevilla, Spain.  She spent her time performing in order to gain experience with local guitarists and singers practicing the codes and signals which make up the language of flamenco.  She developed her skills in flamenco clubs, cultural centers, museums and theatres, learning more onstage with her able musicians than she had ever learned in a studio setting.

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Melinda is once again a Kansas City resident and is inspired to pass on the precious information shared with her during those years. 

She teaches students from all over the US in her online classes and locally at studios in Lawrence and Shawnee, KS.  She is currently choreographing to Manuel de Falla´s Siete Canciones Populares Españolas for an upcoming performance with Ensemble Iberica.

  45° is the name of her LLC which promotes the sharing of culture between Kansas City and Sevilla with organized events like the Feria de Kansas or the Midwest Flamenco Festival, guided tours to experience Sevilla, Spain and performances by FlamenKcmo with guitarist Beau Bledsoe and singer/guitarist Antonio Rojas.  A life-long learner she continues to study in Sevilla each year and travel to give workshops and perform both traditional and original work.

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Antonio Rojas is a singer and electric guitar player who has been a performer since his early teen years touring Andalucía, Spain playing Blues, Soul and Rock covers in English and Spanish, as well as his own compositions.
Since moving to the USA in 2018 Antonio has widened his focus to include flamenco singing as a way to maintain contact with his roots in Sevilla.  He has been a guest artist with Ensemble Ibérica and is a founding member of group 45° Flamenco with Melinda Hedgecorth.  He performs regularly in his dual roles as Rock/Blues guitarist and Flamenco singer.