Benise (pronounced Buh-nes-say), his musical style and his brand of variety shows have been described in many crafty ways: “The prince of Spanish guitar,” “the Latin Riverdance,” “Cirque du Soleil meets Riverdance” and “Rockmenco” (a fusion of rock and Flamenco). The reason writers and fans must resort to inventing new words and genres to describe Benise is because his show evades categorization — it is an amalgam of many things.
The show features globally-inspired dance numbers, including Cuban salsa, Brazilian samba, Argentine tango, Parisian waltz and traditional ballet. The music is a fascinating mixture of classical numbers (such as Vivaldi), rock ’n’ roll (Led Zeppelin, the Eagles and AC/DC) and African drumming, all performed with Flamenco flair. Dazzling costumes delight the eyes, such as handmade, ruby gowns cascading with a thousand red roses and shimmering salsa dresses. The entire show is performed in front of an ever-changing backdrop of digital landscapes designed by artist Michael Page, whose company Trike Creative has produced graphics for big-time shows like the Grammys, Oscars and “American Idol.” The surprising harmony of these elements is a global feast for the senses.
“It’s one of those things that’s hard to describe until you see it,” said Benise. “I like to take people on a roller coaster of emotions. … Every song is basically a different scene. It’s all multimedia, and it’s kind of like a journey around the world with music.”
Benise’s work is inspired by his world travels. Before he connected with PBS in 2005, the musician was a traveling street performer. He and his small troupe of musicians and dancers spent five years visiting many pockets of the world. You may have seen him nearby at Disney or Universal in Orlando, Florida, or far away in Dubai or Spain. Back then, Benise said it was common for him to put on more than 200 shows a year, sometimes playing three events in a single day. As his exposure grew, so too did his crowd size. Then a self-promoting musician, Benise would sometimes sell out 2,000-seat theaters. His show eventually caught the attention of band manager Doc McGhee, famous for discovering Bon Jovi, Kiss and Mötley Crüe. Benise also attracted PBS, which seized the opportunity to air his grand, multicultural performance on television. “Nights of Fire” was the title of Benise’s first PBS special. It won an Emmy award in 2006 for outstanding costumes for a variety or music program.
Since then, Benise’s show has gone through seven iterations, each with its own name and televised special. This year, Benise has been touring the show “Fiesta!,” which was filmed for PBS at the Old Mission in Santa Barbara, California.
“There’s a huge flamenco community there, and every year they do a flamenco fiesta where they get together for a week. Flamenco-dancing people come from all over the world. So that’s really what inspired me to name it ‘Fiesta,’” said Benise.
The show, he said, is “really the best of the last 20 years.” While the dance troupe is a bit smaller — about five dancers depending on the night — and without aerial artists this go-round, the show still maintains the spirit of Benise’s previous shows. He has added a few numbers — songs by Vivaldi and AC/DC — brought back some fan favorites from “Nights of Fire” and included his favorite act, a special song he wrote when his son was born eight years ago.
“I was there for his birth and then I had to go on tour on the other side of the world through China,” Benise said. “So when we were touring through China for almost two months, I recorded this song, and in every venue we recorded a little piece of the video (used in the show). … You’ll see our troupe’s travels through China. It’s a very climatic song and it always gets me.”
As the father of an 8-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter (who is eager to get her own song), Benise tours only on weekends, spending his weekdays back in Southern California with his family.
“Fiesta!,” he said, “is a great family show. I’d like to stress that. Please, if you have kids, bring them. They’re going to be inspired.”
Benise is nearing the end of his 2024 “Fiesta!” tour. Georgia is the production’s second-to-last stop on the 52-show tour. It is also the first time Benise has ever performed in Atlanta.
IF YOU GO
“Fiesta!”
7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 13. $43.50; VIP tickets are available and include a sound check meet-and-greet 4:30-5:30 p.m. Byers Theatre at Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center, 1 Galambos Way, Sandy Springs. 770-206-2022, citysprings.com/events/benise-fiesta.
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