Ángeles Toledano Brings Contemporary Flamenco to Miami Beach Bandshell

Ángeles Toledano, pictured here at the opening of “Suma Flamenca 2025” at the Teatros del Canal (Madrid), will perform at the Miami Beach Bandshell on Thursday, March 5. (Photo by Marina Rodríguez, courtesy of the artist/FUNDarte).

Ángeles Toledano says she started singing when she was six or seven years old.

“I first stepped onto a stage at 8, almost professionally since I was 10. So my whole life,” says Toledano, who was born in Jaén, in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia. Considered one of the most promising performers of contemporary flamenco singing, she was nominated for the 2025 Latin Grammy Awards for “Sangre Sucia” (“Dirty Blood”), her first album.

She will perform at the Miami Beach Bandshell on Thursday, March 5, in a concert programmed by The Rhythm Foundation, FUNDarte, and Live Arts Miami.

Toledano says her singing style reflects the identity of the Andalusian people.

“Cantaora is a very Andalusian word. The word itself is flamenco,” she says. “I think what sets us apart is the music, which is much more classical, with a long history, steeped in centuries of song, guitar playing, dance, and rhythm. And, of course, there’s also the wail, with that broken voice that isn’t allowed in any other genre… not in opera, not in pop, where they look for a beautiful, perfect voice.”

Ángeles Toledano (Spain, 1995) is considered one of the most promising performers of contemporary flamenco singing. (Photo by Mara Alonso, courtesy of Universal Music Spain/artist’s office/FUNDarte).

What has always drawn her to the music is the emotion that goes into the work.

“It’s guided by what you feel. Expression comes first, and I think that’s also what characterizes us and what people can feel, whether they understand the genre or not, because it’s pure expression. It’s also a pure physical expression. It can be a statement or a flirtation. Or it can be many gestures, even exaggerated ones.”

The Bandshell performance is special to Toledano because she says there will be a few surprises and is excited about what she calls an “organic format.”

“This time, I’ll be accompanied by guitarist Benito Bernal. We’ve worked together for many years, and we understand the concept very well, since we know each other with all our musical quirks.”

The program will include a mix of popular flamenco lyrics and styles along with some of Toledano’s original works.

“Live, we do a slightly more pop-oriented song: a version I have of a song titled “Que bonito aquella noche” (“How beautiful that night”) from Las Grecas, a Spanish group with strong ties to flamenco.”

Ángeles Toledano and guitarist Benito Bernal during the opening of “Suma Flamenca 2025” at the Teatros del Canal (Madrid). (Photo by Marina Rodríguez, courtesy of the artist/FUNDarte).

She cites her influences as La Niña de los Peines, Remedios Amaya, La Paquera de Jerez, La Marelu, and El Popito, and she says, “obviously, Camarón de la Isla and Enrique Morente.”

She is looking forward to performing in Miami because of what she says is the difference with flamenco fans in the States rather than in her native country.

“You find a flamenco scene where some people are very, very closed-minded, perhaps out of a desire to maintain the purity of things. I hope (Miami audiences) warmly welcome my fresh, youthful approach. I’m really looking forward to arriving in Miami.”

WHAT: Ángeles Toledano with Benito Bernal, a presentation of The Rhythm Foundation, FUNDarte, and Live Arts Miami

WHEN: 8 p.m., Thursday, March 5

WHERE: Miami Beach Bandshell, 7275 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach

COST: $31.94, general admission, $257.69, club seating, includes fees at https://vor.us/b3990

INFORMATION: miamibeachbandshell.com

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