Photo credit: Nico Iliev

HOMETOWN: Valencia, Venezuela

INFLUENCES: Luciano Pavarotti, Freddie Mercury, Björk

ALBUM: La Casa Azul, out now

WEBSITE: migguelanggelo.com

“My songs are poetry,” says performer Migguel Anggelo, who blends everything from pop and jazz to opera and Spanish boleros into his music. “I’ve always been obsessed with music—my father, a chef, would sing while cooking, and my mother, a ballerina, often danced around the house to classical songs.” With a background in musical theater, the Brooklyn-based artist often incorporates elaborate orchestration, staging and costumes into performances. His bilingual sophomore album,

La Casa Azul, explores such unusual themes as the complicated life of painter Frida Kahlo (the album is named after her famed blue house in Mexico City). “This is a sophisticated album that merges my influences,” he says. “I’m proud of how disparate notes come together to make a new sound. The classic bolero ‘Piensa en Mi’ for instance, is reinterpreted as a tango with electronic beats—a great example of taking something traditional and making it contemporary.”