Melón Jimenez & Lara Wong

Rooted in flamenco and tinted with jazz, Melón Jiménez & Lara Wong’s music echoes flamenco’s nomadic roots—from India to Africa to Latin America. Together, they share a unique musical dialogue between the Indian bansuri and the flamenco guitar—mysterious, bold, and passionate. Lara Wong is a Canadian flutist and bansuri player. After immersing herself in the tradition in Andalusia, she became the first woman and first foreigner to win the Filón Minero award for Best Flamenco Instrumentalist at Spain’s Cante de las Minas festival. She is recognized for pioneering the integration of the Indian bansuri into flamenco. Melón Jiménez, a flamenco guitarist from Madrid with Gitano (Andalusian Roma) roots, blends deep tradition with global influences. The son of a flamenco guitarist and a German classical pianist, he has toured with artists such as Anoushka Shankar, Enrique Morente, and Richard Bona. Since forming their duo in Madrid, Lara and Melón have performed over 100 concerts across four continents, on renowned stages like the National Arts Centre (Canada), Blue Note Shanghai, Helsinki Flamenco Festival, and Suma Flamenca. Their debut album Confluencias (2024) was nominated for a JUNO Award for Instrumental Album of the Year.