Flor de Toloache is a new band hitting the streets of New York City. They’re a group that you might not be expecting, especially when you hear the genre of music they play. Flor de Toloache is an all-female mariachi band gaining momentum in the big city, and claims itself to be the first of its kind in NYC. Co-founded by Mireya Ramos, 31 and Shae Fiol, 34 the band is a group of women hailing from a group of diverse backrounds. Not only is the band entirely female, something rarely, if at all heard of in the mariachi world, only two of the members claim Mexican descent. Ramos is half Mexican, half Dominican and Veronica Medellin is full Mexican. The rest of the group includes members who are of German, Egyptian, Cuban-American, Colombian, Dominican and Argentine descent. This does not stop the ladies of the group from fully embracing the beautiful traditional Mexican music.
Flor de Toloache has been criticized more for its members ethnicities and less for its ladies only ensemble. However, the group is dedicated to Mariachi, and they hold true to some Mariachi classics like, “La Negra,” “El Cascabel,” and “El Rey.” They have also branched out to include contemporary covers, jazz, and even made an original song for Chapstick.
In an interview with The New York Times, Ramos stated, “We’re surrounded by so many different cultures and so many different kinds of music, we just feel, culturally, like we can do it. We’re a mix of backrounds, musically and ethnically, nationally-we like to display all that. And why not?”
Personally I want to know if they do quinceañeras…but that’s just one excited Latina for you. Can you blame this mexicana for just wanting to dance?
Learn more about Flor de Toloache over on their official website.
Photos via clubzone.com, Facebook, nvmusicfest.com, and Andrei Averbuch
