“There should be fireworks named after this band, for all the intensity and color and life that bursts forth from Flor de Toloache.” - Marisa Arbona-Ruiz, NPR's First Listen
One is German, another a New Yorker of Egyptian descent. Others are Cuban-American, Colombian, Dominican and Argentine. They are a mariachi band that has collaborated with John Legend and Miguel, and their massive repertoire includes covers of AC/DC, No Doubt and The Bee Gees. They are FLOR DE TOLOACHE and on October 9 at 8:00pm, they will put their stunning artistry onstage at Xavier University’s Gallagher Theatre, as part of the 2021-2022 Music Series.
Flor de Toloache began their run as New York’s first and only all-female Mariachi band in 2008 when founder Mireya Ramos, the daughter of a mariachi musician and her friend, singer/vihuela/guitarist Shae Fiol teamed up and began busking in the subways of NYC to work on the music and to get their name known. Julie Acosta, trumpet and vocals joined along with guitarrónist Eunice Aparicio. Their sound is flawless, effortless, immaculate and perfect – a relaxed tightness and sublime blend that can only result from playing thousands of gigs, rehearsing endlessly and perfecting their live presentation. Some of those gigs include NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert, a collaboration with rock group The Arcs that landed them on Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and BBC 2’s Later with Jools Holland and Harry Connick, Jr’s show.
Flor de Toloache says their influences are all over the musical spectrum – jazz, hip-hop and of course the mariachi music they so cherish. They dress in traditional costume with one not-so-subtle difference - rather than the mariachi skirt with bolero jacket typically work by women, Flor de Toloache wears slacks and jackets. Mireya Ramos said she gets a small, subversive thrill from donning a costume like the one her father used to wear. “Wearing the suit, it’s kind of empowering,” she said. “You’re like, ‘I can wear this suit, too.”
Winners of a Latin Grammy Award in 2017, the group is clearly having a blast! Relentless touring musicians, they’re as likely to toss in a “bom-bom-bom-bom (ala the girl group classic, “Mr. Sandman”) as some “sha-la-la-la,” evocative of En Vogue. They are wildly talented instrumentalists and world class singers. The new album, Indestructible was nominated for a 2020 Grammy Award for Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album, and Flor de Toloache says, “a testament to the indestructability of Women.”
I was in college when Linda Ronstadt released her albums, Canciones De Mi Padre and Mas Canciones. The sound was shocking to my then-limited ear- I couldn’t imagine what Ronstadt was doing after being a superstar in the worlds of country, rock, Broadway star and singer of standards with Nelson Riddle. Now I hear what she must have heard as a child, the joy, energy, passion, raw emotion and incredible musicality of this genre. It is fitting that when Kennedy Center Honored Linda Ronstadt in 2008, it was Flor de Toloache who was selected to perform at the ceremony, honoring Ms. Ronstadt’s Mexican heritage and her devotion to bringing that music to the rest of the world.
Flor de Toloache performs on Saturday, October 9 at Xavier. More information is available at Xavier University Music Series.
Flor De Toloache's appearance at the Xavier Music Series is sponsored by the Xavier University Women of Excellence Grant.
By Elaine Diehl
