Anyways, get ready to Rock y Roll as the Triple R will record their next weekly radio show at the Mambo!
If you haven’t heard of Rock y Roll Radio, then where have you been? They had over 80,000 hits as of last week!
On a personal note, this show introduced me to Vatosaurus, the most awesome Chicano dinosaur from East L.A.
One awesome aspect that Paul and the crew put together is the awesome playlist lineup that regularly features rising stars in the US Latin Alternative world!
And, where better, of course, to find some of the most awesome US-based Latin alternative, than here in sunny, Austin, Texas.
Better yet, that isn’t the only genre of music that they focus on. They can kick it old school. Their first show had the one and only Grupo Mazz playing one of their oldies!
My dad’s side of the family is Mexican; my great grandmother came from Coahuila. My maternal great grandfather came over on a boat from Lithuania.
I’m the only one in my dad’s family that attempts to honor any sort of cultura mexicana. I’ve celebrated Dia de los Muertos for several years, complete with homemade sugar skulls, pan de muerto y un ofrenda. I had to learn about this tradition from a project I did in a college Spanish class - not my family. After the death of mi abuela last summer, I brought my Dia de los Muertos supplies home and set up my altar there; it was then that I felt like my family really understood what I was doing and why.
Some of my cousins on my dad’s side dismiss their Hispanic heritage; instead, they claim their mom’s Irish roots. They celebrate all things Irish, and I respect that completely. But a part of me cringes every time I hear them say our last name: they pronounce it “VAIR-uh” instead of “VAWR-uh”.
Okay. I get that a lot by people who don’t know me. I’ve even come to expect that I’ll have to correct people. And as soon as I do, the next sentence out of their mouth is always, “Oh, so you’re Hispanic?” I also get that same comment when I mention my hometown is San Antonio.
But my cousins, who are just as biologically Hispanic as I am, are the ones doing the butchering. So just what is it that makes someone Hispanic?
Ruta Maya may just be another Austin coffee house during the day, but every Wednesday evening, it becomes a popular dance spot for salsa as it lends its stage to the local band, Cienfuegos.
Their specialty in Cuban son, bolero, and other styles of Latin music has become a local favorite, as one could tell from the large crowd at Ruta Maya this past Wednesday.
The vibrant live music brings out dancers ranging from beginners to experts onto the large dance floor. There were also those that go to just enjoy the music as they sit inside on a couch or on the patio while they enjoyed a Cuban cigar or a beer. This type of music is no longer popular solely among those of Latin descent, but people of all backgrounds.
Last year Cienfuegoes took home the Best Salsa/Merengue award at Univision’s Premios de Texas Music Awards show. They have two records available, in which on its first recording includes the playing of Shango Dely, who is percussionist of Santana and Carlos Vives.
In communication with Daniel Nelson, the lead vocalist and guitarist, he was able to provide me with interesting information about the band.
Cup O' Mambo is written and maintained by the folks at Mercury Mambo, a Hispanic Experiential Event Marketing, Sales Promotion and Branding Agency based in Austin, TX.
One awesome aspect that Paul and the crew put together is the awesome playlist lineup that regularly features rising stars in the US Latin Alternative world!
Ruta Maya may just be another Austin coffee house during the day, but every Wednesday evening, it becomes a popular dance spot for salsa as it lends its stage to the local band, Cienfuegos.
