The Perlich Post: Tiki Collective

Friday, June 24, 2022

One For the Weekend: Irene Torres

Toronto singer Irene Torres of the Santerias, Sugar Devils, Sol Azul and Tiki Collective breaks out on her own with "Madreselva"

Here's the scoop...

Peruvian-born singer and visual artist Irene Torres has been active in Toronto's music scene for about a decade. As a front-woman for many groups, she has appeared with the Flamenco fusion ensemble, Santerias, the Afro Cuban band Battle of Santiago, the Tiki Collective, her original blues and soul music supergroup Irene Torres & The SugarDevils, and the Latin house project Sol Azul.

Greatly influenced by Irene's culture, heritage and unique life's journey, her solo debut features a fusion of the folkloric instrumentation of Peru and the raw storytelling of her original lyrics.

"Madreselva" is a story of the immigrant experience and the journey to ‘home’ in a new land.

"One day, as a child, not long after I had arrived from Lima, Peru to Toronto, I was walking down Brock St., and my nose caught the familiar scent of the beautiful Madreselva (Honeysuckle) blooms.

"I closed my eyes and it took me right back to my abuela and my neighbourhood in Lima. And I was home. Fragrantly strong, sweet and resilient, the Madreselva quickly climbs and covers anything it wants, sprawling over the city's concrete murals and metal fences. Madreselva's message: if I can thrive here, then so can you." - Irene Torres

Watch a performance of "Madreselva" below. Get "Madreselva" right here.