Today we’d like to introduce you to Lakshmi Basile.
Hi Lakshmi, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Lakshmi Basile began performing at age six with her parents’ band ‘The Electrocarpathians’. She studied dance through primary, middle, and secondary school at the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts. She grew up within San Diego’s flamenco scene, where her passionate artistic persona began to form.
After performing regularly as a flamenco dancer in California and studying classical dance at the University of California at Santa Barbara, Lakshmi moved to Spain at age 20 to further her flamenco studies. She was fortunate to quickly be embraced by artists there and came to work aside great artists such as Manuel Molina, El Gallí de Morón, Antonio Moya, La Tana, Carmen Ledesma and Antonio Rey. She was given the nickname La Chimi (which is simply her own name re-pronounced).
Lakshmi Basile ‘La Chimi’ made history being the only artist not born in Spain to win the national award in the flamenco contest, Concurso de las Minas de La Unión, in 2011. She also was granted an award in another primary contest, the Concurso Nacional de Arte Flamenco de Córdoba. There she surprised flamenco critics and received stunning reviews; “-un desgarrador homenaje a los románticos de lo jondo…” (a heartwrenching homage to the romantics of pure flamenco) Alberto García Reyes, ABC.
Within ten years, Lakshmi solidly founded her career in Sevilla, the cradle of flamenco. For fifteen years she performed daily as a soloist at El Palacio Andaluz in Sevilla and now today works at a variety of well-known tablaos in Sevilla and Madrid. She appears with major flamenco artists at private parties and festivals throughout the year and all over the world. She has performed in Germany, Italy, Lebanon, Morocco, Portugal, Great Britain, Denmark, North and South America and produced her own theatrical show in Spain, entitled ‘Zarabanda, Lo Que Duerme en el Cuerpo de los Gitanos.” She is much sought after as a master teacher by flamenco students and professionals all over the world.
She recently returned to California and founded the nonprofit organization Alma Flamenca. Her organization established the Peña Flamenca Carmen Amaya, which presents monthly events, bringing authentic flamenco to the local community. She also teaches regularly in San Diego, aside from Masterclasses in other cities and countries throughout the year.
Lakshmi Basile has founded a substantial artistic career as a flamenco dancer, because that is what she is at heart. “Su baile es de una alegria conquistada (her dance is a conquered happiness)”- Felix Grande, poeta and flamencoligist. “La unica cosa Americana que tiene es su pasaporte (the only American thing about her is her passport)”- Angel Ojeda, former minister of La Junta de Andalucia.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The main struggle I came across is the discrimination I’ve experienced for not being born in Spain. After living in Spain for fifteen years, this struggle dissipated because at one point I was “adopted” and recognized as a local, despite my birthplace. However, this discrimination can come up anywhere, any time, because many are ignorant to the fact that being a flamenco doesn’t equal to being Spanish. Yes, Flamenco was born and thrives in Spain, but being Spanish doesn’t automatically make you a Flamenco expert. A matter of fact, there are tons of Spaniards that don’t know any Flamenco at all. In short, Flamenco is an extremely complex art form and is constantly evolving. So one must be in and into Flamenco to be a Flamenco.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I have two main businesses right now – Flamenco with La Chimi, which is my personal entertainment brand (live performance based) and my teachings (in person dance classes. My other business is the nonprofit organization I founded – Alma Flamenca. Alma Flamenca translates as Flamenco Soul and we are a newly founded tax exempted non-profit based in San Diego, California. Our mission is to provide exposure to the rich art form of flamenco through teaching and performing its dance, music, and Spanish-language song. We currently offer one to three monthly events, all flamenco oriented, but not limited to traditional flamenco. We hold live performances at Cafe-Bar Europa aka The Turquoise in Pacific Beach, Masterclasses in Point Loma (The Dance Place) and other events including all of the above at The Normal Heights Community Center. We hope to one day have our own space where we can consistently hold all of our events in the same place. I am very proud of this endevour because I am able to create more work for flamencos and bring more authentic higher quality flamenco to San Diego.
What sets me apart from others here in San Diego/USA is that my experience in Flamenco is real and profound. I’ve lived flamenco with the best flamencos. So my understand and respect for flamenco is at a different level than most, just because of what I have been able to live. Another thing that sets me apart from others is that I come from a family of artists. Not all artists grow up with artists.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I loved dancing, I loved being around music always. I also was a scholar and enjoyed excelling in academics. Even though I had the brains to become a Scientist, I decided to be a dancer because when I didn’t have dance and music in my day to day, I wasn’t as happy.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lakshmibasile.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/la_chimi_?igsh=NXJvZ3d3cHV4aDI5&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lakshmi.lachimi?mibextid=wwXlFr
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5ESddencmfry8soN_p2SGA
- Other: https://www.almaflamenca.org
Image Credits
Paco Sanchez, Alejandro Mallado (Black and White with myself and singer next to me)
