A Lela Soto You have to love her. Just because. When this gypsy woman opens her mouth, you lose your mind. She has charisma and truth. Everything else is superfluous. She is pure. It doesn't matter that she plays on the edge of what's acceptable. flamenco to support her experiments. Because she doesn't approach it from a place of transgression, nor is she provocative. She does what she wants, what she feels like, what she likes. And her music continues to resonate. flamencoIt complains in a modern way, it tempers itself in the 21st century, it adorns it with unexpected – but recognizable – turns and curls the melismas of a fine and velvety throat at the whim of one who walks hand in hand with the times.
Thus, a flamenco singer's personality is forged, one that maintains its balance amidst the chasms that loom over flamenco, gazing down without vertigo, because it travels tethered to a lineage that keeps it firm and renews the roots that drive it to its very core. Lela is different. And although she doesn't exactly stir things up or make this somewhat jaded critic cringe, I like her. She is the gentle lash of fresh Jerez syrup.
David lamb He lent his synthesizer for the background music and the reverb de The fire that I carry inside, Breaking the silence of the stage, Lela reinvented the toná. With flamenco flair from this century, she caressed the malagueña. To my dad Manué, felt and canonical, nestled among the six strings of the guitar of Rubén MartínezIncreasingly imbued with the rhythms and cadences of Jerez, and showing constant progress in his mastery of the instrument, Lela still asks for more guitar playing. Like the one from work carrasco, who went up to accompany her in the bulería to listen, with the palmas de Reyes Moreno y Juana Gomez and the extraordinary, just and precise percussion of Ane CarrascoLela remembers and searches among the Albarizuelos phrases for a whole heritage of art of which she is a worthy heir, even though it doesn't resonate in the canteI'd like to see her in other situations. I'm sure she'd scratch.
"You have to love Lela Soto. Just because. When this gypsy opens her mouth, you lose your mind. She has charisma and truth. Everything else is superfluous. She's pure. It doesn't matter that she plays on the edge of what's acceptable." flamenco to support his experiments. He does what he wants, what he feels like doing, what he likes. And his music keeps on playing. flamenco»
She refreshed the traditional flamenco style with the imprint of new melodies that stick to the ear like honey to a throat. Her surname is a license, and she knows how to validate it with aplomb. She stays put, without straying too far from the norm. And suddenly she swept me away with tangos, splendid and brimming with gypsy spirit, making me want to shout a few "oles" or climb up next to her. Manuela Carrasco y Bethlehem of the Kings to sing backup vocals.
Not only is Lela brave with her proposal and the places she strolls through, canteRamón was left bare with his guitar to perform a simple but effective bulerías solo, full of hot drones and the house rhythm.
Then it was Diego del Morao The one to her left embraced her with her own soleá. No matter how much she squared the thirds of Monkey and other variations, everything was filtered through whims flamencoLela, who continued to add guests to celebrate the anniversary of her album's release and who said, "I've finally had the pleasure of presenting it here in my hometown, Jerez," was next. Antonio Malena son with which, to the beat of a bulería, they preluded one of the highlights of the night, when Lela melts to the point of being a sweet treat while performing the milonga of Chacon adorning it with sweet garlands and new shoots.
His father Vincent Soto solemnly sang Quevedo through tangos. She forgave her daughter by ear for some slight pitch discrepancies as their rich voices blended. And the bulería at the 7 brought it to a close. The party began. The artist's mother –Luisa Heredia– he gave it his all. And then all together except Morao, who ran off somewhere, threw all the wood at The fire that I carry inside So that the flame of what this beautiful gypsy woman carries in her veins may continue to burn bright and bright. Lela Soto must be loved. For all of this. Just because. And that's it.
Credits
The fire I carry within, by Lela Soto
XXX Jerez Festival
Museums of La Atalaya, Jerez de la Frontera (Cádiz)
February 27th 2026
Cante: Lela Soto
Guitar: Ruben Martinez
Percussion: Ané Carrasco
PalmasReyes Moreno and Juana Gómez
Choirs: Manuela Carrasco and Belén de los Reyes
Guest artists: David Cordero (synthesizer), Curro Carrasco, Diego del Morao and Antonio Malena Jr. (guitars), Vicente Soto (cante), Luisa Heredia (dance)
