Dec 28th, 7:30 - 9:30 CST
A collaboration with Ensemble Iberica
Sin Fronteras (Without Borders) is a project about borders made by musicians without borders.
Project Objectives: For centuries, the U.S./Mexico border has been a significant focal point for cultural and political dynamics, serving as an intersection where these multifaceted forces converge and interact. Sin Fronteras represents a substantial musical initiative that delves into the diverse tapestry of music styles and traditions originating from both sides of the extensive 5,525-mile border. This comprehensive project aims to highlight the shared elements among these distinct musical genres, including Tex-Mex, Ranchera, Jarocho, Gospel, Jazz, and Country.
Breaking Barriers: Our primary objective is to illustrate that the US/Mexico border is not solely a fixed and impermeable divide but rather a dynamic and vibrant space where ideas and culture flow freely, transcending the physical barriers that exist. It is within this dynamic environment that numerous vibrant musical traditions have thrived, spurred on by the challenges and struggles inherent to this unique geographical and sociopolitical context. However, this profound and resilient interplay often remains less known to broader audiences.
Visibility and Recognition: Sin Fronteras sheds light on the concealed realm of creativity and resilience within the border region, bringing attention to the enduring spirit of cross-border collaboration, adaptation, and innovation that shapes the cultural landscape.
Album Production: Mireya Ramos (founder/director of Flor de Toloache) and Beau Bledsoe (founder/director of Ensemble Iberica) have produced a full-length album of original compositions and popular songs that meld influences from both sides of the border. The recording was released on September 15, 2023, and features twenty-five musicians from multiple genres in the U.S. and Mexico.
“A Latin Grammy-winning mariachi vocalist teaming up with a country and western band? It sounds wild, right? But as Mireya Ramos and the Poor Choices prove in today’s mini-concert, the two genres share a lot in style, culture and sound.”
– NPR’s World Cafe [link)
“In the face of these gorgeous songs, the things that seemingly divide our two countries feel trivial — they can and will be transcended by something far greater.”
– Adobe and Teardrops [link)
“Her breathtaking vocals swell and billow alongside the band’s uplifting instruments, lending her anguish an exquisite splendor that pierces the heart.”
– Grimey Goods (on “Regressa Ya”) [link)
“the song effortlessly blends Nashville country and rancheras, raising the stakes with a gospel choir and KCMO jazz. Its lyrics about losing a part of you when a loved one leaves is emotionally supercharged by Ramos’ breathtaking vocal performance, giving us a chill-inducing moment.”
– Remezcla (on “Regressa Ya”) [link)
“It’s a song that makes you want to take a shot of tequila, yet also find a line-dancing partner.
– RIFF Magazine (on “Regressa Ya”) [link)
“Mireya Ramos made a good decision when she allied with The Poor Choices… The cross-cultural results are rewarding. Fresh interpretations of classic material ranging from ‘Regresa Ya’ to ‘There Stands the Glass’ bridge the distances between Mexico City, Nashville, New York and San Juan.”
– KCUR (NPR Kansas City) [link)
Mireya is a vocalist, violinist, composer, and arranger, and the founder of Flor de Toloache, NYC’s first and only all-women mariachi band. Sin Fronteras is a passport to the special pan-cultural world KCMO audiences have been enjoying for years. Throughout the album, the musicians deftly blend ranchera and country, sprinkling in pop, jazz, and R&B along the way.
Ramos co-produced Sin Fronteras with Beau Bledsoe, founder/director of classical chamber Ensemble Iberica. The 10-song album features 25 musicians, including Latin Grammy winners Texmaniacs, Ensemble Iberica, and western band Slim Hanson and the Poor Choices. The album was meticulously produced in collaboration with FMK Music, a dear friend of Ramos, and supporter of her music. Based in Kansas City, FMK Music is an independent label and music production house with a passion for supporting the sort of raw talent and musical genius for which Ramos and Bledsoe are a beacon. Though this community spans different genres, generations, and cultures, it coalesced around an album of original and traditional songs that meld influences from both sides of the border.
Mireya might be best known for her pioneering work with her two-time Latin Grammy-winning group Flor de Toloache, and her acclaimed solo career. Flor de Toloache has toured nationally and internationally, and performed on NPR’s “Tiny Desk Concert,” The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and BBC 2’s Later with Jools Holland. The mariachi quartet has garnered critical acclaim from Rolling Stone, Billboard Magazine, The New Yorker, GQ Magazine, and The New York Times.
“I like that this album sparks a conversation—that’s always been important to me as an artist,” Mireya says. “Sin Fronteras showcases the similarities between styles of music and traditions that on the surface may seem very different.”
“The parallels between the music on both sides of the border became obvious to me years ago—you can see that in the traditions of cowboys in the U.S. and Mexico,” says Beau, who grew up in Arkansas but spent summers in the early 1990s studying Mexican folk music in a small town in western Mexico.
Mireya might be best known for her pioneering work with her two-time Latin Grammy-winning group Flor de Toloache, and her acclaimed solo career. Flor de Toloache has toured nationally and internationally, and performed on NPR’s “Tiny Desk Concert,” The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and BBC 2’s Later with Jools Holland. The mariachi quartet has garnered critical acclaim from Rolling Stone, Billboard Magazine, The New Yorker, GQ Magazine, and The New York Times.
Mireya was born in California to proud Dominican and Mexican parents, and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Her earliest connection to county music was through Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt. When her family relocated from Puerto Rico to New York City, the Suzuki method, classically-trained violinist began to connect with bluegrass musicians and see firsthand the connections between the music of her Afro-Latin heritage and country music. Meeting Beau a decade ago and working with him for an internationally-themed seasonal performance series he curated in Kansas City only deepened the ranchera-country conversation for Mireya.
The shows showcased a distinctive musical style unique to Kansas City, Missouri. Because of the city’s proximity to Interstate 35, a main tree branch for immigration from Mexico, Kansas City has had a long history of both traditional country and Latin music. “When I first moved here, I would study classical music at the conservatory, and play two-chord rancheras at night on the historic Southwest Blvd,” Beau recalls.
Sin Fronteras is a passport to the special pan-cultural world KCMO audiences have been enjoying for years. Throughout the album, the musicians deftly blend ranchera and country, sprinkling in pop, jazz, and R&B along the way.
In the winter of 2024, Mireya Ramos, Los Texmaniacs, Slim Hanson and The Poor Choices will form a singular touring ensemble performing the music of Sin Fronteras at historic dance halls and theaters throughout Texas, with additional dates in Merida, Mexico. Accompanying the tour will be a film crew and Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Dan White to document the experience. The resulting film will include footage from interviews and live performances of Sin Fronteras, and frame the project within the larger narrative of the U.S. cowboy and Mexican charro. It will be released in September 2024 at various film festivals and theaters in both the U.S. and Mexico. Before that, though, Mireya will be performing solo shows along with Flor De Toloache dates and a full list of shows can be found below.
Sin Fronteras is an album about borders made by musicians without any borders. Rehearsals and recording sessions were freewheeling, fun, and serendipitous. Beau says: “There were a lot of happy accidents. The songs took on this Brian Wilson feel.” Mireya adds: “Everyone came with smiles and open hearts, and left a piece of them in this album. Listening back to La Frontera my heart jumped out of my body from excitement. I can’t wait for people to hear it!”