Writer and Performer: Queralt Lahoz
Spanish performer Queralt Lahoz certainly knows how to whip up a room with her single-night acoustic concert as part of the Sadler’s Wells’ Flamenco Festival, getting the audience on its feet to dance, clap and even sing along to her songs. Timed to coincide with the release of her second album 9:30PM, an autobiographical journey through the singer’s life, Queralt Lahoz En acústico connects with both her established fans, only metres away in the intimate Lilian Baylis Studio, and with those hearing her music for the first time.
Staged as a double bill of female flamenco vocalists performing in successive concerts on the same evening, Lahoz follows the more traditional styling of singer Argentina, whose show was performed first, and this second sitting brings a more contemporary, pop and soul shape to contemporary flamenco. Lahoz’s songs are the standard 3-4 minutes, often employing the soft-big-soft trajectory that allows modern stars to showcase their range and the emotional fervency of their lyrics, which here build on Lahoz’s own story.
Delivering a dozen songs in about 70 minutes of singing plus encore, there is a Shakira-like presence offering a range of Latin pop styles filled with catchy melodies and a deft vocal range. Lahoz holds a vibrato note in most of her tunes which she is able to dial up and down depending on the emotion being conveyed, and there is a good mix of upbeat, rhythmic pieces and breathy, intense numbers that, at one stage brings the musician to tears as she sings – prompting a kindly fan to offer a pack of tissues.
Later in the show, the songs have a more traditional flamenco sound and in programme terms connect Queralt Lahoz En acústico with Argentina’s show earlier in the day. These classic flamenco vocals offer simpler melodies and soulful performance, which create moments of pause in a largely upbeat arrangement of songs. On stage, Lahoz is emphatic in her movements, emphasising the meaning of tunes with gestures that underscore her feelings as she sings them, while she often moves away from her seat to walk across the room and be seen by her audience, even hugging a particularly enthusiastic fan on the way.
Lahoz understands the need to connect through her concerts, providing a great deal of commentary between songs that tell a story about herself and her work that is really important. As with other concerts in this series, Lahoz provides these links in Spanish, and there are people in the room who visibly either rely on their fluent friend to explain what is being said or never know. Performers should choose any language they feel comfortable with, but the festival could do more to support them and audiences with translation between songs to increase festival access, or at least note events will be entirely Spanish speaking on their booking page.
Supported by Daniel Felices on guitar, Queralt Lahoz En acústico is a small studio session with two talented performers skilled at warming the room and their fusion of contemporary pop and flamenco hits all the right notes.
Reviewed on 5 June 2025
