La Vainilla

Emma "La Vainilla" has been singing flamenco since the age of nine, beginning with local cantaor Jaime del Rio. She studied with Cristobal Carrasco at La Tania's Flamenco in the Redwoods, and she has made six trips to Spain, studying in Seville with José Galván and José Anillo. Also in Seville, she has attended two intensive month-long cante workshops at the Fundación Cristina Heeren, where her teachers were Virginia Gámez, Ana Gomez, and Paco Taranto.

Emma has performed often around Sonoma County with Aire Flamenco, Flamenco Stage,  Chus Alonso's Potaje/Potingue, and at age 10 with Soniquete de José Galván. On her last trip to Seville she performed on television with her sister Eva for Manuela Carrasco. Currently she sings regularly in a trio with her sister and guitarist David Carroll.

She looks up to singers such as Mayte Martin, Esperanza Fernandez, Diego El Cigala, Carmen Linares, Camaron de la Isla, and Sonia Miranda.

Besides singing flamenco, Emma is an actress who has worked with Healdsburg's Imaginists ensembles for five years.

Read more about Emma and her family in a 2003 profile from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat: Press Democrat--Flamenco Family along with Photos.