Music has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. Raised in a family deeply connected to classical music and Spanish folklore, I grew up surrounded by melody, storytelling and live performance, influences that continue to shape my artistic language today.

Between 2009 and 2013, I was part of Enclavegospel, a Madrid-based gospel choir founded and directed by my sister, Raquel Soto. Immersed in gospel, soul and contemporary vocal harmony, those years were transformative: they gave me the confidence to begin writing my own songs and confirmed that music was something I wanted to make a central part of my life.

Through Enclavegospel, I also met pianist Jorge Vera, an exceptional musician who became an important early supporter of my songwriting. He helped me develop and arrange many of my first songs, bringing new colours and ideas to the music and encouraging me to keep writing and exploring my own sound.

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Then I met Sergio, who believed in my music from the very beginning and supported the project with incredible generosity and enthusiasm. Together with Julio, guitarist of his band Bahía Cochinos, they helped me continue shaping and arranging my songs, eventually bringing them to the stage for my first live concert in Madrid. That period culminated in 2013 when, performing as Ale Moncloa, I was selected as a finalist in RNE’s La reMovida with my original song “Hoy”.

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When I moved to London in 2013, I arrived with my songs and creative projects, but with no musical network and no equipment of my own. Eager to start performing, I simply looked for a way to make it happen. One day, I approached a street musician I had seen playing guitar and asked if he would be interested in joining me for a small gig at a Spanish restaurant in Camden Town. He agreed, and thanks to the equipment he already had, we were able to put together my first live performance in London. That simple beginning became the starting point of my musical journey in the city.

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From those first intimate gigs, the city gradually opened its doors. I went on to perform with musicians and bands across London, particularly within the Latin jazz, soul and acoustic scenes, while continuing to develop my own work as a singer-songwriter and composer. I later recorded my original music, produced by Ignacio Lusardi Monteverde in collaboration with fingerstyle guitarist Iago Banet and guitarist, arranger and producer David González, leading to the release of my album and further live projects.

 

Today, alongside my personal work as Lea Soto, I have the privilege of performing as the lead singer of Riamba, a London-based Latin jazz project founded and led by acclaimed multi-percussionist Andy Martin. A close friend and exceptional musician, Andy has been an important part of my musical life in London, and I have been part of Riamba for over a decade.

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Throughout the years, I have performed at venues and events including Jazz Café London, The Barbican, KOKO, Bolívar Hall and Paris Fashion Week, among others.

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More recently, I’ve continued writing and developing new music in London, collaborating with friends and fellow artists and performing in intimate acoustic formats, solo, duo and trio.

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Living and creating in London has become an essential part of my artistic language. From intimate pubs and churches to cultural venues and larger stages, the city’s musical history and openness allow me to bring my Spanish roots into dialogue with other cultures and sounds, through Spanish and bilingual songs, acoustic arrangements and a natural fusion of Mediterranean, Latin, soul and contemporary influences.