Miramar

Miramar carries the torch of the “bolero beat”—a genre that flourished in the 1960s through the fusion of nostalgic Latin ballads (boleros) with psychedelic rock, bossa nova, funk, and more. An offshoot of the acclaimed indie-salsa band Bio Ritmo, Miramar was one of the first Latin bands to perform on NPR’s Tiny Desk and has since introduced its singular take on bolero to audiences worldwide, releasing music on two of Brooklyn’s most iconic independent labels: Barbès and Daptone Records. Their latest album, Entre Tus Flores, released on the historic Ansonia Records, was hailed by Staf Magazine (Spain) as “uno de los grandes descubrimientos de los últimos años!” — “one of the greatest discoveries of recent years,” and praised by Lira Magazine (Sweden) as “crazy, updated, odd – and irresistible.”
Miramar’s undeniable magic lies in the chemistry between the lush vocals of Laura Ann Singh and Puerto Rican native Rei Álvarez, the band’s lyricist and songwriter. Their “heartbreaking vocals suck in every nerve” (Lira), and they “harmonize with such precision and grace that it’s hard to imagine a day when they didn’t sing together” (Style Weekly). The Álvarez–Singh duo is supported by a driving rhythms and dreamlike soundscapes arranged by bandleader Marlysse Simmons-Argandoña, who alternates between piano, synths, and combo organs. The full band also includes Gary Kalar on electric guitar, Giustino Riccio on percussion, Dan Martinez on bass, and occasional collaborations with string quartets and symphony orchestras. Its core members and collaborators are based between Richmond, VA, San Juan, PR and Brooklyn, NY.