(Photo courtesy of Musical Instrument Museum)

Las Migas

When it comes to passionate music, Marta Robles, Roser Loscos, and Alicia Grillo, three members of the Latin Grammy-nominated flamenco quartet Las Migas, are bringing it to Phoenix at the Musical Instrument Museum. I had a chance to talk with them before their Tuesday performance.  

TOM MAXEDON: How would you characterize Flamenco, and why is it important to the cultural fabric of Spanish people?

MARTA ROBLES: Well, Flamencos have very strong style. And it’s a very important music because, I think it’s a music that represents Spain everywhere in the world.

MAXEDON: For those folks who aren’t Spanish, what is it that you want them to know about the passion of Flamenco music, something that maybe they have not considered?

ROBLES: The Flamenco is, especially the rhythms. The rhythms are unique in the world. The message, they have very short sentences but, that, are very strong. I think this is the most characteristic thing about Flamenco. The rhythm and the lyrics because they also have a very particular harmony, but the harmony, it’s very, let’s say it’s quite simple, but I think the passion, what you said, it’s what everybody gets really impressed.

MAXEDON: Your album, it’s pronounced —

ALICIA GRILLO:  "Vente Conmigo."

MAXEDON: — which means, “Come With Me.” It’s nominated for a Latin Grammy for Best Flamenco Album.

ROBLES: It’s a very beautiful album. It took us four years to make it. First, to compose the songs, to decide who was going to be the producer, that was very important for us. And, then it took us very long to find a record label. Everything was very difficult. 

So for us, when finally it was released, we were really happy.   

When we got nominated to this Grammy, that was really a gift, because it took us so long and so much effort.

MAXEDON: There’s been a lot that’s been going on in Spain right now with respect to Catalonia, and I wonder if you have any feelings on that matter and if you ever get political in your music?

ROSER LOSCOS: I think that music is never a political thing. So I think that music is an art, a way to spread feelings. It has no place into the political matters.

ROBLES: I think it does, if you want to. You know, there are people singing and giving their opinion about these things and making songs about political things, but it’s not our case.

Our songs are more like love stories, so we really have not much to say about that in our music. Of course, as persons, we have our own opinions.

Nobody’s really asking us what we think about it in Spain because we are a very open band and we are two coming from Catalonia, two coming from the south. We are always traveling. So it’s not really our case. It’s really a shame what’s happening.

We are very excited to have this concert in Phoenix, to play in this Musical Instrument Museum. I think it’s very beautiful for us, because we love instruments.

And, our show, is very enthusiastic. We do all kind of different things.

People participate a lot.

And we really try to make fun and to create emotion.

This show has also been made with a lot of love and we like to do it.

MAXEDON: So, this is something for people’s hearts then, definitely.

LAS MIGAS: Yes.