Miramar reimagines the Latin bolero and carries the torch of Bolero Beat—a genre that rose to international fame in the 1960s by blending nostalgic ballads with psychedelic rock, bossa nova, funk, jazz, and more. The sextet features the vocals of Rei Álvarez and Laura Ann Singh and is led by pianist Marlysse Simmons-Argandoña. Miramar’s members are based between Richmond, VA, and Brooklyn, NY, with ties to Puerto Rico, Chile and Brazil. The band’s name, meaning “look to the sea,” evokes the postcard-perfect seaside towns common throughout Latin America, reflecting their desire to capture the humble poetry of everyday life in music.

“crazy, updated, odd – and irresistible.”

With roots in the golden-era bolero sound of 1950s Puerto Rico, Miramar weaves in the romantic pop sensibilities and orchestral ballad styles that defined international music in the 1960s and ’70.  Originally an offshoot of the indie-salsa band Bio Ritmo, Miramar was one of the earliest Latin groups to perform on NPR’s Tiny Desk and has since shared its distinctive take on bolero worldwide, performing across the U.S., Puerto Rico and Europe often collaborating with string quartets and orchestras. Their music has been released on leading independent labels, including Brooklyn’s world music connoisseurs Barbès Records and renowned soul revival label Daptone Records. Their latest album, Entre Tus Flores, was released on the legendary tropical label Ansonia Records that was originally founded in New York City in 1949 and recently revitalized by Emmy-nominated, LA-based music supervisor Liza Richardson. The album has been described by Sounds and Colours Magazine as a “retro-tastic, string-driven take on the bolero.”,  hailed by Spain’s Staf Magazine as “one of the greatest discoveries of recent years” and praised by Sweden’s Lira Magazine as “crazy, updated, odd – and irresistible.”

“¡Para mi, uno de los grandes descubrimientos de los últimos años! No Puedo dejar de escucharlos.”
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“One of the greatest discoveries of recent years! I can’t stop listening to them.”

Staff Magazine, Spain