It is not every day I meet a Grammy award winning artist. That honor came to me some years back when my friend Beau Bledsoe of Kansas City’s Ensemble Iberica introduced me to the music of and the goddess that is Mireya Ramos… founder of the all female mariachi band Flor de Toloache. As you will hear in this episode of the Tasty Brew Music Podcast, Mireya has found a “heartland home” in the middle of what a lot of folks still consider “fly over country.” I’ve been fortunate enough to catch her shows sitting in with Ensemble Iberia, Slim Hanson and the Poor Choices and others at multiple venues in Kansas City.
Mireya, with her Afro Caribbean roots (her mother is Dominican), grew up in Puerto Rico where her Mexican father’s mariachi band played in the family restaurant. She embodies all of her musical influences whether it is mariachi, salsa, merengue or hip-hop, she always creates a unique and refreshing sound. Although, classically trained through Suzuki method on the violin and orchestral experiences in college, her passion lies in folklore and other alternative genres. Her natural improvisational skills and beautiful tone both in her violin and her lyrical voice has made her one of the top Latin artists in this country.
In 2007, she founded Movimiento, a mix of Latin American grooves with jazz and blues. In 2008, she co-founded Mariachi Flor de Toloache: New York’s first all-female mariachi band. They are Latin Grammy Award Winners and have been nominated again for a Latin Grammy in 2019. They recently were chosen to serenade Linda Ronstadt at Linda’s induction at the most recent Kennedy Center Honors in 2019! Being a genuine supporter of culture and empowerment of women, Mireya also founded an all-female Dominican roots group, the “809 Ladies” mixing merengue, pambiche, bachata and Caribbean roots music with jazz creating a unique concept and sound…a REAL Tasty Brew!
Mireya recently spent her birthday week in Kansas City and we squeezed in this conversation between an in store appearance at Mills Records, a house concert, a show at The Ship and a New Year’s Eve Show with Making Movies at The Truman. I was concerned about the hoarseness I had detected in her voice at the record store and kept this conversation shorter than I would have liked. I appreciate her graciousness in giving me the time we had together. Enjoy this conversation with a true national treasure…Mireya Ramos!
