Porque recordar es volver a vivir.
Presented by La Sonora and Le Mondo, POR SIEMPRE SYLVIA brings together two breathtaking voices in bolero—Miramar and Maritzaida—to pay tribute to the timeless genius of Puerto Rican composer Sylvia Rexach, whose boleros echo across time with longing, love, and the poetry of the island.
Miramar blends golden-era bolero with a hypnotic touch, weaving celestial strings and lush harmonies into their latest album, Entre Tus Flores. A dreamlike trip through the undercurrents of bolero where vintage romance meets swirling synths creating a lush, hypnotic haze where past and future intertwine. Maritzaida, carrying Rexach’s torch with guidance from her daughter, brings lost compositions to life with raw intimacy.
A night of haunting melodies and flowers for Sylvia—forever in bloom.
Grab a ticket and learn more about the musical tradition of bolero and our featured performers debuting in Baltimore at Le Mondo!
EVENT DETAILS
POR SIEMPRE SYLVIA
406 North Howard St, Baltimore
Wednesday, March 26th
$25 ($30 Day-Of)
Doors/Bar: 7PM
Show: 8PM
WHAT IS BOLERO?
Bolero is a musical tradition born out of Cuba in the late 19th century that later spread in popularity across Latin America. It’s a style known for its romantic ballads and troubadour-style folk poetry.
Sylvia Rexach
Working within the confines of 1940’s and 1950’s Puerto Rico, Sylvia Rexach was a Puerto Rican artist, composer, and bohemian that brought a voice to bolero that subverted the genre, journeying inward to the subconscious place where yearning, memory, and the self swirl in a fog. She was a driven, charismatic figure who died at the age of 39 but her work has steadily gained a cult-like following alongside wider institutional recognition in recent decades.
Her music remains “virtually unclassifiable within the Latin American music of her time. Her lyrics projected a frank sexuality and a near-indifference to shame. They could look like passionate resignation, or calm defiance.” [New York Times]
𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴
FEATURED ARTISTS
Miramar
In most of Latin America, if you are by the sea, there is bound to be a place called Miramar (“Look to the sea”) close by. It will typically have a postcard view of the ocean – and if music is playing, chances are it will be boleros, the romantic music genre that originated in the late 1800’s that became an international music sensation through the collaborations of Puerto Rican, Mexican and Cuban musicians.
When Puerto Rican singer, Reinaldo Alvarez, was naming the group, he searched for something simple that would be familiar to Spanish speakers, a name that would reflect the humble poetry of everyday life. Miramar seemed perfect: a romantic snapshot of a place both familiar and far away from home.
Miramar captures that poetry through their music with new interpretations of golden-era boleros and original songs that infuse the bolero with a variety of musical influences. They are associated with the Nuevo Romantico movement and carry the torch of Bolero-Beat, a popular genre defined by its blend of traditional boleros, psychedelic funk, and rock.
The band features the “thrilling vocals” of duo Laura Ann Singh and Rei Alvarez - who is also the group’s main songwriter - and lead by pianist and arranger Marlysse Simmons-Argandona. Backed by a rotating group of all-star musicians on percussion, bass and guitar. Miramar’s shows often feature an accompanying string or chamber orchestra. They have collaborated with string players across the globe and been featured at multiple Symphony Pop’s Concerts.
Maritzaida
Maritzaida, a Puerto Rican vocalist from Isabela, has emerged as a leading voice in Puerto Rico's música bohemia, carrying forward the legacy of Sylvia Rexach and Tutti Umpierre. After performing as a military musician with her husband, guitarist AJ Weibe, and spending three years living in Japan, she returned to music in 2023, signing with Charlie Hunter’s SideHustle Records. Her debut albums, Boleros Clásicos Volumen Uno y Dos, produced by Hunter, marked the beginning of a new chapter in her career.
Her deep dive into Rexach’s work led to Alma Adentro: La Música de Sylvia Rexach y Tutti Umpierre, which was named one of Puerto Rico’s Top 20 Most Outstanding Albums of 2024 by the Fundación Nacional Para la Cultura Popular. With guidance from Rexach’s daughter, actress and singer Sharon Riley Rexach, Maritzaida is reviving and preserving Rexach’s unpublished works. Her latest release, Sentimientos En Vivo, also produced by Hunter, captures the raw, intimate beauty of classic bolero and música bohemia, blending her stunning vocals with Weibe’s seven-string guitar and Zachary Brown's cello in a timeless, deeply expressive performance.
Maritzaida, una vocalista puertorriqueña de Isabela, se ha convertido en una de las principales voces de la música bohemia de Puerto Rico, llevando adelante el legado de Sylvia Rexach y Tutti Umpierre. Después de servir como músico militar junto a su esposo, el guitarrista AJ Weibe, y de vivir tres años en Japón, regresó a la música en 2023, firmando con SideHustle Records, el sello de Charlie Hunter. Sus álbumes debut, "Boleros Clásicos Volumen Uno y Dos," producidos por Hunter, marcaron el inicio de una nueva etapa en su carrera.
Su profundo estudio de la obra de Rexach la llevó a crear "Alma Adentro: La Música de Sylvia Rexach y Tutti Umpierre," nombrado uno de los 20 Álbumes Más Sobresalientes de 2024 por la Fundación Nacional Para la Cultura Popular. Con la guía de la hija de Rexach, la actriz y cantante Sharon Riley Rexach, Maritzaida está reviviendo y preservando las obras inéditas de la compositora. Su lanzamiento más reciente, "Sentimientos En Vivo," también producido por Hunter, captura la belleza cruda e íntima del bolero clásico y la música bohemia, fusionando su impresionante voz con la guitarra de siete cuerdas de Weibe y el violonchelo de Zachary Brown en una interpretación atemporal y profundamente expresiva.
ABOUT THE PRESENTERS
La Sonora
La Sonora is a live latinx music club and culture hub connecting the diaspora through sound and movement.
IG: @clublasonora
Le Mondo
Le Mondo is an artist-run venue, bar, and studio space focused on the creation and presentation of new, curious, and daring performance work in Baltimore.
IG: @lemondoarts