After the release of her debut album, Ángeles Toledano has quickly established herself as one of the most compelling new voices in contemporary flamenco. The record has received widespread critical acclaim, earned a nomination at the Latin Grammys, and led to an extensive tour that has taken her across major festivals and venues. Now, as she prepares to bring her project to Miami, we spoke with her about the journey so far and what audiences can expect from this more intimate performance.
Originally from Coimbra, a central riverside city that was once the country’s medieval capital, Henrique Janeiro arrived in Lisbon at 18 to study jazz and musicology. It was also around this time that he began exploring his own musical universe. More than a decade of experiences, recordings, albums, sessions, and live performances followed. Until one day, Janeiro wanted to get away from the urban hustle and bustle and moved to Alentejo, in the south of Portugal, in search of introspection and a greater connection with natural surroundings. From this change of environment came more mature and meditative songs — a personal growth that carried over into his music. Thus was born FUGACIDADE, also inspired by the concept of impermanence. Released in 2024, this third album explores the contrasts between city and nature, speed and contemplation.
TIGRE SOUNDS: Your album has been a success in every sense: a lot of positive reviews, presence at the Latin Grammys, international exposure… How have you experience this past year?
ANGELES: Honestly, we’ve experienced it through work. Without really being able to lift our heads, because we’ve been working non-stop. It’s true that now, when I look back and see all the places we’ve been, the media coverage, the concerts… I think, wow, what a privilege. But the reality is that we haven’t stopped working, and we’ve lived it from that place.
TIGRE SOUNDS: Maybe that hasn’t given you enough time to fully enjoy it as much as you would have liked.
ANGELES: Yes, although I’ve enjoyed it while knowing that we were working a lot. There have been more bitter moments and
happier ones, a bit of everything. In the end, it was my first album, my first personal project. I had never defended something of my own before, and I’ve learned so many things I didn’t know. All of that will stay with me for the next album, with a different kind of wisdom. These are very intense experiences, because it’s your first project, and that really marks you.
TIGRE SOUNDS: Precisely because of that, are you already thinking about your next work? After this success and the tour, do you feel more creative freedom or more responsibility?
ANGELES: I think it’s a mix of both. I feel a lot of responsibility because this first project was very free, without any filter. I just wanted to tell things and take advantage of that platform to express everything I had inside, without any pretension. My only intention was to enjoy myself, and I really enjoyed the studio process. At the same time, I consider myself musically responsible. I want to do something that’s worth it, that has quality, that gives something back to me and teaches me new things musically. To learn from my collaborators as well, and, if possible, to open new paths within flamenco.
TIGRE SOUNDS: Now that you’re about to travel abroad for the first time with this project, do you think your way of performing will
change in front of an audience that may not have as much context around flamenco?
ANGELES: I hope not. I’d like them to experience it the same way I do here, to feel like they’re at a flamenco concert in Spain. I don’t want to become pretentious or “more flamenco” just because I’m abroad. That said, maybe it could change in a positive way – for example, being a bit more didactic. Explaining things, giving more context… that could be interesting.
TIGRE SOUNDS: Have you done something like that before?
ANGELES:Yes, for example at Vida Festival a couple of years ago. We played on a pass-through stage where people usually don’t stop. I thought, I need to make them stay, to really listen. So I decided to turn the concert into something more didactic — explaining palos, teaching handclapping patterns. It was pure survival, but it worked and helped me capture the audience’s attention.
TIGRE SOUNDS: Your live show has a very distinctive visual identity – minimal, but very striking, especially in terms of lighting.
What role does scenography play in your performances?
ANGELES:It’s very important to me. Scenography helps me fully step into the role on stage. I imagine everything very precisely – the lights, the atmosphere, the space – and I need that theatrical dimension to really inhabit the performance. It’s something I care deeply about and put a lot of attention into.
TIGRE SOUNDS: What can we expect from the show in Miami?
ANGELES: It’s going to be a very honest show. We’re touring in a guitar-and-voice format, which is what allows us to travel right now, and that makes the performance much more raw and stripped-back. The stage design will be adapted to each space and to the tools available. I think it’s a very good way to begin on the other side of the Atlantic — to be known from that “naked” place, from something very pure. Hopefully one day we’ll be able to return with the full production, but first I want people to meet us from the ground up.
Grab your tickets here.
