2020-10-05

Monika Nieves Maldonado

Monika Nieves Maldonado (Toa Baja, Puerto Rico)

Puerto Rican singer-songwriter Monika Nieves Maldonado is considered one of the great and most versatile vocal performers in Puerto Rico. By age twelve, she was the main voice of the Areyto Folkloric Ballet. As a singer-songwriter for Puerto Raíces, she performed throughout Puerto Rico as well as the U.S. They shared stages with bands such as Los Pericos, Aterciopelados, La Oreja de Van Gogh, Cultura Profética, La Secta, and Fiel a la Vega. Currently, he plays güiro and sings Música típica with her family group, Herencia Musical, in which Monika joins forces with her brother, cuatro player extraordinaire Christian Nieves and her father, composer, cuatro and guitar player, Modesto Nieves. He collaborates with numerous Puerto Rican musicians and is a recording artist. Her musical project, Pasajeros del Tren, is a fantastic venue for Monika’s creativity. The group plays a fusion of Caribbean rhythms, flamenco and pop-rock. She defines her musical style as JibaRock, a refreshing and innovative formula that combines her subtle and powerful voice and musicianship, as well as her charming energy on the stage. 

Interviewed by Raquel Paraíso, 10/05/2020.

Raquel Paraíso

Music; United States; Covid-19 Pandemic

Toa Baja, Puerto Rico

Musicians in America during the Covid-19 Pandemic

Society for Ethnomusicology