Seattle Fandango Project

The seed for fandango was planted in Seattle by Chicano and Mexican fandanguera@s who moved to Seattle around 2003. About a year later, Martha Gonzalez and Quetzal Flores organized the first fandango workshop and in the following years, continued to perform and give workshops. In 2008, Quetzal and Martha relocated to Seattle and connected with the few fandanguera@s in the city.

Through small informal gatherings, this group shared their experience and knowledge of the fandango tradition and explored ideas to get more people involved. With a supportive community of artists, activist, and educators, the Seattle Fandango Project (SFP) coalesced in the late summer of 2009 with the purpose of building a fandango community in Seattle and connect it to the larger movement in other parts of the United States and in Mexico.

SFP has supported and has been supported by the Latina/o community, local artists and musical groups, and by organizations such as Casa Latina, Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, El Centro de la Raza, Union Cultural Center, Raices Culturales, the Ethnic Cultural Center, the University of Washington, Hidmo, many first and secondary schools, and many more.

SFP continues to use the fandango as a space to build and transform community, develop future leaders, and support the network of social activism in Seattle.

Visit Seattle Fandango Project’s website for more information or visit the Facebook page.

Links:

University of Washington, Office of Minority Affairs: Seattle Fandango Project To Receive 2012 Diversity Award for Community Building