When Jose Moreno performs Flamenco, he channels the deeply spiritual music formed during the about 350 years of the dreaded Spanish Inquisition.

“It was based on oppression and all these cultures that were oppressed because of the inquisition,” Moreno said.

The four cultures from which Flamenco derives are the Spanish Gypsies, the Moors, the Sephardi Jews and the folk music of Andalusia in southern Spain.

“You take four different cultures and put them together going through this horrible time and then this music becomes created by these people.”

When Flamenco performers sing a song it is known as a llanto, Moreno said, which translates as cry or lament. This harkens back to the musical roots of the inquisition.

“You release your soul as you are singing,” he said. “It is part of where flamenco comes from.”

The inquisition began in 1478 and was not officially ended until 1834, according to Encyclopaedia Britannica. During its course, about 150,000 people were prosecuted for various offenses, with between about 3,000 and 5,000 executed. During prosecutions, many of the accused were tortured to secure a confession.

Now almost two centuries after the end of the tragedy which inspired it, Flamenco continues as a cultural juggernaut, evolving along its way, Moreno said.

“It is getting much bigger as far as everybody’s awareness.”

While spreading outside of the Spanish community, the artform has been passed down from generation to generation since the beginning, Moreno said.

“It is very popular. Kids learn this when they come out of the womb and are sitting in their mother’s lap. Everybody is holding their hands together and clapping the rhythm. That is how it was for me with my parents and my grandparents.”

Moreno was born into the family of famous flamenco dancer Estrella Morena, his mother, and singer Pepe de Málaga. It is no wonder then why Moreno has become a multi-instrumental Flamenco performer.

He studied with the Great Manolete, Farruquito, Andres Marin and learned cajon percussion with Manuel Soler and is a seasoned singer, percussionist, guitarist and dancer.

He often performs with dancer and singer Savannah Fuentes and guitarist Pedro Cortes.

Their latest show, Oceans Flamenco en Vivo, will be at 7:30 p.m. May 29 at the Chameleon Theater, 800 W. Park Ave. in Port Townsend. Tickets are available at www.brownpapertickets.com.

The all-ages performance is the fourth engagement of a 29-date tour that begins in Bellingham and ends in Southern California.

“This show is dedicated to and inspired by our beautiful oceans with the intention to raise awareness for their conservation,” said Fuentes.

The music and costumes for the show are brand-new, she said.

“Some of the old stuff is in there, too, but it is definitely a new structure and a different approach.”

What remains the same is the chemistry Fuentes, Cortes and Moreno have onstage, she said.

“Having this really textured music that is beautifully composed with great singing and that strong percussive rhythmic bass is so enjoyable and I am grateful that I have them. Their skill levels are so high. If I were dancing with other musicians it wouldn’t come out the same way.”

For this show, Moreno will play percussion on a cajon, a wooden box, will be the lead singer and perform second guitar.

“The cajon is actually Afro-Peruvian in origin but was adopted by the Flamenco community in Spain about 40 years ago,” he said. “Now it is a big component as far as a flamenco show goes.”

The instrument is played with hands as the performer sits atop it.

“It acts as a portable drum kit,” Moreno said. “You can play around it, but usually in the front you have the low and high sounds. You hit the middle and it is lower-sounding, and then if you hit the edges it is higher-pitched. You end up playing all aspects of the cajon.”

Flamenco rhythms require Moreno to be well versed in several time signatures, including a complicated 12 count known as a bulerias.

“It is a 12 beat that is really popular amongst the flamenco community,” he said. “It is the most common for a jam session or any type of party.”

Moreno said he may even get up once or twice to dance.

For more information, visit www.savannahf.com.