Ana Brenes – Mientras camino (Segell Microscopi, 2026)
Ana Brenes’ Mientras Camino (As I Walk) presents a continuous flamenco work centered on life’s stages, from birth to mourning. Brenes wrote and composed all the pieces. In addition, she selected each flamenco palo (flamenco subgenre) to reflect a specific emotional or biographical moment. Interestingly, the album progresses without pauses between the cantes, which gives the project the form of a single narrative.
Musically, the album features a mix of styles: ethereal, lovely flamenco a cappella passages adorned with gorgeous backing vocals; fiercely expressive songs backed by guitar and other accompanying instruments; and deeply affecting moments that land right in the heart. Throughout Mientras Camino, Ana Brenes keeps one foot firmly planted in flamenco’s ancestral soil while offering a distinctly contemporary perspective, that of a 34-year-old gifted woman navigating the world as it is today. Her expressive, moving voice intertwines seamlessly with Toni Abellán’s elegant guitar.
“Nacimiento” (Birth) expresses the desire to shield a newborn from a world riddled with hardship and inequality.
“Infancia” (Childhood) traces the bittersweet journey from innocence to awareness, capturing that gradual, eye-opening realization that life is far more tangled and complicated than childhood dreams suggest.
“Adolescencia” (Adolescence) expands its gaze outward, exploring empathy, migration, and displacement while insisting on the humanity that transcends borders and flags.
“Juventud” (Youth) crackles with hard-earned wisdom, embracing the liberating act of releasing possessions, memories, and disappointments in favor of a life lived honestly and unapologetically.
“Trabajo” (Work) delivers a powerful reflection on the dignity of labor, the strain of economic hardship, and the grinding inequalities that leave far too many people struggling beneath unfair systems.
“Comunidad” (Community) peels back social disguises one by one, examining conformity, identity, and the profound importance of authentic human connection in a world full of carefully rehearsed performances.
“Madurez” (Maturity) is a resilient anthem of self-discovery, celebrating the painstaking, often unglamorous work required to forge inner strength and lasting self-knowledge.
“Espiritualidad” (Spirituality) turns inward, contemplating repentance, forgiveness, personal transformation, and the quiet revelations that emerge through spiritual reflection.
Finally, “Duelo” (Grief) closes the emotional circle with devastating poignancy, immersing itself in the ache of loss and the enduring bonds that continue to echo, softly, hauntingly, whispering through memory long after a loved one is gone.
Ana Brenes (1991, Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Spain) is a cantaora, composer, and educator recognized for her contribution to contemporary flamenco. Her artistic development began through self-directed learning and was strongly influenced by her family background. As the daughter of an Extremaduran cantaora and a father from Utrera with a deep connection to flamenco, she grew up immersed in the tradition through everyday practice and oral transmission.
Subsequently, she complemented this foundation with formal training, earning a degree in Cante Flamenco from ESMUC. She also taught at Taller de Músics. In 2019, the flamenco associations of Catalonia named her Flamenca del Año.
Throughout her career, Brenes has collaborated with artists including Albert Pla, Chicuelo, La Tana, El Pele, and Alfred García. In addition, she has performed at festivals and venues such as Flamenc-ON, Festival Real 360º, Festival de Arte Flamenco de Cataluña, BBK, El Grec, and Ciutat Flamenco.
Musicians: Ana Brenes on vocals; Toni Abellán on guitar, bouzouki and palmas; Abraham Lojo on bandurria; Nelson Doblas on violin; Ángel Márquez on palmas; Jacobo Sánchez and Antonio Torres on percussion; Banda de música del Paso y la Esperanza de Málaga on drums conducted by Adrián Gaona Román; Rubén Martín Vallejo, Lucía Soriano Ruiz, Alejandro Cobo Pérez, Javier Vera
Morató on drums; Valentina Caballero, Lola Fernández, Nayra González, Vera Moreno, Candela Salazar, Valeria Salazar, Carla Yus, Los Mellis de Huelva, Fran Atoche, José María Cáceres, Álvaro Márquez, Ángel Márquez, Toni Reyes, Visen, and Antonio Vega on backing vocals.
Buy Mientras Camino.
Author: Iliana Cabrera
