Migguel Anggelo has a theory about immigrants and music, and he is testing it on an Aventura stage on Oct. 16 and 17. The Venezuelan interdisciplinary artist presents ICONS: Latin Rhythms at the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center at 8 p.m. both nights, with singer and television host Robmariel Olea among the special guests. The theory is short. "Every immigrant carries a soundtrack," Anggelo says in the production announcement. "There are songs that remind us of home, our families, our celebrations, and who we are."
The artist is not testing this idea for the first time. Born in Venezuela and based between Miami and Brooklyn, he trained in ballet and studied voice at the Conservatory of Music in Cologne, according to a 2022 interview with NiteLife Exchange. His official biography lists LatinXoxo, a theatrical production that played the Under the Radar Festival in January 2023 and later toured to the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, Miami Light Project and other venues. The same biography says ICONS is one of three projects in development with co-commissioning support from Lincoln Center.
Migguel Anggelo turns Rubén Blades and Oscar D'León songs into a stage show
The program draws on music made famous by Rubén Blades, Oscar D'León, La Lupe and Juan Luis Guerra, according to the announcement, alongside original songs by Anggelo. Those pieces get new arrangements, unexpected pairings and theatrical moments. The release describes the evening as part concert, part dance party and part theatrical experience, and says it also takes up immigration, identity and the music Latinos carry across generations and borders.
Adrian Alea directs. Jaime Lozano, who plays piano, is the music director. Both are credited on LatinXoxo in the Musco Center for the Arts listing, and BroadwayWorld described Lozano as a longtime collaborator when the pair returned to Joe's Pub in 2024. The band, as named in the release, includes Saúl Cosme on guitar, Rubén Coca on drums, Yahir Montes on bass and Guido Gonzalez on trumpet, with vocalists Florencia Cuenca and Dilia.
Robmariel Olea and a roster of South Florida guests share the stage with Migguel Anggelo
Olea is a Dominican actress, singer and presenter whose television career began in the Dominican Republic with programs such as Boruga Fat Free and Mango en Directo, according to her Wikipedia entry. She is a familiar face at this theater. Last October she appeared in Celia Cruz 100: Icons at the same venue, and she told WSVN that singing a Celia Cruz song was an honor.
The release also names Rosie Herrera Dance Theatre, Adora and Naomi Aguilera of the PoiZon Ivy Lords as guests. The performances are presented by the City of Aventura, according to the center's event page. The theater sits at 3385 NE 188th St.
Last year's Celia Cruz tribute built a night around one artist. Latin Rhythms widens the frame to a songbook, and it asks a plain question: what do people bring with them when they leave? Anggelo's answer is the music. Friday and Saturday will show how that answer plays in a room.
