SALVADOR SÁNCHEZ
Ángeles Toledano‘s new album, Sangre Sucia, is a powerful addition to the contemporary flamenco scene, skillfully blending traditional Andalusian sounds with modern influences. Her emotive voice and lyrical storytelling bring fresh depth to classic flamenco, creating a dynamic listening experience that feels both rooted in heritage and groundbreaking. This album is a testament to Toledano’s artistry, showcasing her unique ability to honor flamenco’s soulful essence while pushing the genre forward, making it an essential listen for fans of modern and traditional Spanish music alike. Today we chat with her to find out the deeper meaning of the album.
TIGRE SOUNDS: CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE TITLE OF THE ALBUM, “SANGRE SUCIA” (DIRTY BLOOD). WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
ÁNGELES TOLEDANO: This title comes from the fact that I feel more in touch with the dirty and non conventional part of my life, than to the one that usually we approach as the “clean” side of society. In this album we found a chance to talk about topics that are taboo and that for us (women) have always been hidden deep in a drawer for many generations into the past that now when trying to take them out they are dirty and full of dust.
TIGRE SOUNDS: WHAT ARE THESE TABOO TOPICS THAT YOU ARE TRYING TO BRING OUT?
ÁNGELES TOLEDANO: This album is directed towards women. Historically, the language of flamenco has been disrespectful or even violent towards women, so I wanted to create a space within this language that was ours and so that we could feel identified with and safe within. From that point onwards, everything else that comes out is just a consequence of this and these are things that have been hidden for a long time.
TIGRE SOUNDS: IN THE PAST YOU HAVE TALKED ABOUT THE INFLUENCE THAT THE IMPORTANT WOMEN OF YOUR LIFE (YOUR MUM, GRANDMOTHER AND FRIENDS) HAVE HAD IN YOU, AND THE FACT THAT YOU SURROUNDED YOURSELF OF YOUR MANY FRIENDS FOR THE SONG “X LAS NIÑAS” (FOR THE GIRLS) MAKES ME WONDER WETHER THIS SONG IS DEDICATED TO THESE IMPORTANT WOMEN OF YOUR LIFE?
ÁNGELES TOLEDANO: Yes. In a big part it is an homage to these women, but not only that, it is also a way of stating that now is the time for girls to talk to girls. No one needs to talk to us other than ourselves and for it to be us the ones who are having fun with each other. In a way, this is the representation of a night out with my girlfriends, because Sangre Sucia is not just about opening up about my personal experience but also a collective one, so for me it was really important that we all sang at the same time. There was no other way around it, my friends had to be in this song!
TIGRE SOUNDS: CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE WHOLE CREATIVE PROCESS OF THE ALBUM?
ÁNGELES TOLEDANO: The process has lasted two years. It all started with a tiny idea in my head until it slowly started to make more and more sense to end up being what it is today. It has been very fun but also lots of very hard work. We took care of every little detail to make sure that we provoked a reaction onto the listener. However, in a way the creative process hasn’t finished yet. The album is actually not the final exposition of the concept as it is going to be brought to life in our live shows and this will make it evolve into something different.
TIGRE SOUNDS: HOW WAS IT WORKING WITH THE MUSICIANS AT THE STUDIO?
ÁNGELES TOLEDANO: It was really cool! My guitarist, Benito, who has accompanied me for many years, he is the person who understands me musically the best so it was really easy to work and communicate with him. The same goes for Javi “Harto”, the producer of this album. I didn’t know him at first, but after I listened to some of his work I knew it had to be him, so I knocked on his door and asked him if he wanted to be a part of this “classical flamenco” project and he agreed to do it. However, before we went into the studio, I felt I needed to have a to have a very clear idea of the sonic inspirations the album would take so that I could present them to him and point him in the right direction.
TIGRE SOUNDS: WHAT ARE THESE SONIC INSPIRATIONS?
ÁNGELES TOLEDANO: I would say there is a lot of Pink Floyd and Carolina Polachek but also of course the flamenco classics such as Camarón dela Isla, Enrique Morente and La Paquera de Jerez.
TIGRE SOUNDS: YOU JUST REFERRED TO YOUR PROJECT AS “CLASSICAL FLAMENCO”, HOWEVER IT MIGHT NOT SEEM LIKE THAT ON A FIRST LISTEN. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE ALBUM?
ÁNGELES TOLEDANO: It is a flamenco album. However it is true that it uses a language that is adapted to my personal artistic ambitions and also to the times we live in and our generation. But that doesn’t make it any less Flamenco. I really don’t like it when these types of flamenco projects are referred to as “New Flamenco” because I feel like that pulls me away from my roots.
TIGRE SOUNDS: HAVE YOU FOUND CREATIVE FREEDOM WITHIN THE TIGHT BOUNDARIES THAT THE FLAMENCO GENRE POSES?
ÁNGELES TOLEDANO: Yes, we have felt complete creative freedom from the beginning because we had a very clear idea of what we wanted to represent, which in this case is my own interpretation of the many different genres of Flamenco (in Spanish referred to as “Palos Flamencos”). We wanted to be natural and put into music the way we see, live and feel Flamenco and within that, there are no boundaries.
TIGRE SOUNDS: YOU HAVE STATED THAT THIS ALBUM IS MADE BY AND FOR WOMEN. HOW DOES THIS TOPIC TIE IN WITH THE RELIGIOUS CONNOTATIONS IN THE TRACK “SEGUIRIYA”?
ÁNGELES TOLEDANO: I think that both the Seguiriya and the Soleá (two different types of flamenco genres) are the prayers of Flamenco music. I feel like to be able to call yourself a good flamenco singer to have to be able to sing these two, and that is one of the things that I feel the proudest of myself. So we wanted this track to feel like a religious experience to represent what it feels like to sing in this genre.
TIGRE SOUNDS: WHEN WAS THE TIME IN YOUR LIFE WHEN YOU REALISED YOU WANTED TO BECOME A MUSICIAN?
ÁNGELES TOLEDANO: Music has been a part of my life for so long that I feel that it was just a very natural progression.I have been up on a stage ever since I was 10 and it is something that even as a kid I really enjoyed and I was good at. I also had the complete support from my parents so it just felt natural. However it is true that when I reached the age of 19, I had to chose wether if I wanted to do music as a full time thing or not and for I second I decided to study law and went into law school, only to drop out two years later to go to music college.
TIGRE SOUNDS: HOW IMPORTANT WAS YOUR PARENTS SUPPORT TO YOUR MUSICAL CAREER?
ÁNGELES TOLEDANO: It was huge. I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for them. They were there right from the very beginning, despite the fact that they didn’t like or even understand what flamenco music was. The didn’t even know what a “Peña Flamenca” was. (“Peña Flamenca” is a club where flamenco musicians go to make and discuss music). They learnt all of that along me.
TIGRE SOUNDS: SO IF FLAMENCO MUSIC WASN’T A PART OF YOUR DAILY LIFE AS A CHILD, HOW DID YOU BECOME INTERESTED IN IT?
ÁNGELES TOLEDANO: I was a very responsive child. I used to imitate everything that I would see or hear and my family would find it very funny. So when I was around 6 or 7 years old the song “Antes Muerta que Sencilla” by Maria Isabel came out and me and all my friends were absolutely obsessed with it. So, long story short, one day I forgot my Maria Isabel CD at my grandmother’s house, so when I went back to retrieve it, my grandma was asleep and I didn’t want to bother her, so I took whatever CDs I first saw, and these were albums by Camarón, Juanito Valderrama or Enrique Morente, so when I went back home and listened to these I was like… “These are even better than the one I had!”. So I would sweep the house around dressed as a Flamenca while listening to Pastora Soler and I perfectly remember the sensation of starting to understand the rhythm of the music and just like that I started getting better at it and imitating it until it became part of who I was.
TIGRE SOUNDS: THANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS WITH US. SO WHAT IF YOU NEVER HEARD THOSE ALBUMS IN THE FIRST PLACE… WHAT MUSIC DO YOU THINK YOU WOULD MAKE IF YOU NEVER DID FLAMENCO?
ÁNGELES TOLEDANO: POP! No doubt about that!
TIGRE SOUNDS: NICE! CAN YOU TELL US TWO SONGS TO GET TO KNOW YOU?
ÁNGELES TOLEDANO: Sin Ti No Soy Nada – Amaral; Todo Cambia – Mercedes Sosa.
TIGRE SOUNDS: WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM YOU IN THE FUTURE?
ÁNGELES TOLEDANO: So the first thing is the tour. We are already in the road touring around Spain and planning to expand abroad. There is also a very cool and exciting thing coming out next month… 😛
Photos by: Mara Alonso
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Spanish musician Salvador Sánchez is currently settled in London, where he develops his international career as a pianist and a composer, with the intention of bringing classical and experimental music to the forefront of the music scene, by collaborating with different artists across all disciplines and bringing this music to unconventional stages.
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