Rock y Roll Día is this Saturday! I caught up with Paul and asked the 411 for the event, who it’s supporting, and why he’s doing it!
Funny in the beginning. Mas café?
Serious and soulful in the middle.
And funny at the end.
Here it is. BOOM!
Archive for the 'Latino Music' Category
I received a message in my inbox this past week that was really exciting:
Austin Tejano Music Coalition To Announce Major Enhancement for Tejano Music in Central Texas
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Austin, Texas - The Austin Tejano Music Coalition invites you to attend a press conference on Thursday, August 28th, 2008 at 11:00 a.m. at Plaza Saltillo, located at East 5th and Comal Street.
There will be an announcement of major significance for Tejano music and fans of Tejano music in Central Texas. In attendance will be Tejano musicians, fans, elected officials and members of the Austin Tejano Music Coalition.
The announcement?
Tejano Radio is coming back to Austin after 3 years on 1560 AM radio and 95.1 FM.
A lot of Tejano music lovers feel left out by big radio station companies and have had to use grassroots efforts to spread the word. Several coalitions across Texas (and recently in Kansas City) have propped up in support of the music. Here are some interviews I conducted today with Julian Fernandez of Los Texas Wranglers and Senator Gonzalo Barrientos.
Whoa, lots of r’s in the title.
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!
OK. I’ll step off of my Tejano soap box…
¡Que viva Tejano!
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.
Full interview available after the jump.
If you haven’t heard of this group, you’ve been living under a rock!
Grupo Fantasma, a group with members from all around Texas (Laredo, El Valle, Houston, Eagle Pass) and whose lead singer is from Nicaragua, has been around for a few years now here in Austin.
They most recently went on a mini-tour with Prince, with the highlight coming in the form of Prince’s band at Super Bowl XLI during the halftime show.
OK. So now to the music. What does it sound like, you ask???
GF would probably tell you that it’s in a genre of its own! They blend all sorts of music together: cumbia, rumba, salsa, and FUNK…pretty much anything that will make you get up and dance!
They recently performed and headlined at Austin’s semi-annual Pecan Street Festival. The cool thing is that their crowds are not just Latino. Maybe it’s just Austin, but I think virtually every shade of human being supports GF!
