Tosh Hayashi encountered Flamenco for the first time in Victoria, on British Columbia’s West Coast, where he spent his initial few Flamenco years studying the guitar with Alma de Espana’s Harry Owen and Veronica McGuire. He moved to Vancouver in 1999, where he accompanied the dance classes of Oscar Nieto and performed with many of BC’s top Flamenco artists. In 2003, he spent half a year in Spain deepening his understanding of Flamenco’s roots and soul. Tosh has been living in Edmonton for the past two years, and has since been invited to Saskatoon twice to perform as guest artist in Kari Alba’s Alma Flamenco Festival and has shared the stage with many of our province’s Flamenco talents, most recently at this year’s FEATS Festival of Dance, and at Mile Zero Dance’s “Fall Back” at the beginning of November.Tosh’s style of playing has been called “raw” and “spontaneous” and “best enjoyed with a good glass of Sherry.”
