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The singer and composer Fernando Gallego Torres arrived in Montreal in 2016. He quickly formed the Azara ensemble, along with pianist Gabriel Evangelista. Then Henry Craft (guitar), Diego Parrot (bass), and Hanser Santos (percussion) joined. Fernando brings with him the entire tradition of classical flamenco, which he has mastered since his youth in Spain. In Montreal with Azara, he enjoys blending this heritage with other musical colours such as jazz, cumbia, bolero, rumba flamenca, and many more.
Construction industry before flamenco
Fernando’s arrival in Canada took place in 2009 in Toronto. Not to sing, but more prosaically to work in the construction field. That said, he started performing on stage and eventually ended up singing in Montreal. He moved his belongings to the city in 2016, where he still works in music, and even more than ever. Even though he continues to work in construction, “to keep his feet on the ground,” he says, his performance schedule is regular and is likely to multiply thanks to the show he will give at the International Nuits d’Afrique Festival on July 16, 2026, at 3:30 PM, on the Loto-Québec stage at Esplanade Tranquille.
He was nine years old when he gave his first concert in San Fernando, in the Cadiz region (in the south of Spain, near the Strait of Gibraltar). He has always practiced his art since then, but making a living from it was more of a dream than a reality when he arrived in Toronto. The project is now less crazy and has been enriched with new clothes. For while Fernando’s practice is rooted in flamenco classicism (which he masters in terms of codes and energy, posture, voice, etc., in addition to having as references the classic geniuses of the genre, such as Camaron de la Isla, El Chocolate, Enrique Morente), his creative search is imbued with a thirst for discovery and fusion.
“I listen to a lot of things, not just flamenco. With Azara, I like to add jazz, Latin rhythms, flamenco rumba, and others to this foundation. When forming the group in 2017, with Gabriel Evangelista, I primarily wanted to do something different.’’
The Sylis d’Or competition at the last minute
I myself witnessed the result when I served as a jury member at the Sylis d’Or 2026 world music competition held last spring in Montreal. Azara was the first group I heard during the semifinals. An energetic and impressive performance, which I noted at the time as a breath of fresh air for the Montreal music scene. Indeed, there are very few (or none at all) pure flamenco artists, steeped in the classic tradition of the genre, in our metropolis. And, moreover, someone who knows and wants to engage in dialogue with this rich heritage through other music. In short, I really enjoyed Azara’s performance. Especially since the group had found out at the last minute (actually the same day) that they could participate in the semifinals!
“We had zero time to rehearse,” which made the quality of the observed result even more impressive. In the end, the performance was worth it: Azara caught attention, enough to earn a spot in the Festival’s free programming, which will attract even more attention. So much the better.
A simple and accessible dream
On stage, Fernando performs a few classics of the genre, of course, but it is mainly original compositions that fill his concerts. Since Azara leans more towards fusion, it makes sense. And who takes care of all the writing? “I am the one who writes the lyrics and creates the melodies. Gabriel takes care of the arrangements. And then, we work on everything collectively with, of course, a good dose of improvisation.
A result, I said, impressive in quality and expressive strength. To be experienced, then, on July 16th at 3:30 PM.
In conclusion, I ask the artist what he dreams of for his band? “To record a first album with our original compositions.” A very simple project, eminently accessible, in the image of an artist who is both committed and passionate, but well grounded in reality.
Thank you to Rosanne Dion, wife of Fernando Gallego Torres, for facilitating this interview. Ms. Dion is also the director of the Flamenco Rosanne Dion company.
