Chikita Violenta stopped by Mercury Mambo for an interview with Paul Saucido of The Saucido Slant. While here, they performed one of their songs.

Chikita Violenta Singing at Mercury Mambo from Lynn Currie on Vimeo.

Monte Negro stopped by Mercury Mambo for an interview with Paul Saucido of The Saucido Slant. While here, they performed a song.

Monte Negro Visits Mercury Mambo from Lynn Currie on Vimeo.

Pilar Diaz stopped by Mercury Mambo yesterday for an interview. While here she sang her new song “Tú y Yo.”

Pilar Diaz from Lynn Currie on Vimeo.

SX Spotlight – Ceci Bastida!

Ceci Bastida dropped by The Mambo today for an interview with Paul Saucido of The Saucido Slant. She talks about her upcoming album and what it means to be a Latina.

FOM (Friend of Mambo)’s Paul Saucido of the Saucido Slant posted his first great article (of many to come) for LaBandaElastica.com.

Friday night in Austin. Downtown Red River, with my buddy Matt, we hit Creekside Lounge for Peligrosa All-Star’s monthly set. Creekside, a rundown punk, waste-iod bar got lit up that night with the sounds of hip-hop, Latin boogalo, Reggaeton and Cumbia. Cumbia, latin music made simple for gringos and the rhythmly challenged. The outdoor deck turned into dance-love fest with hipsters bumping into Chicanos/Tejanos, all sweaty, all devouring the fusion mixes of DJ Orion, Manolo Black, Hobo D and Pagame. Then it hit me, I think between my 6^th or 7^th beer, Austin is the Cumbia capital of the States!

Read the rest of the article on LaBandaElastica.com

I’ll (Lynn) be will be one of the panelists for SXSW’s Latino Digital Drive: Why This Audience Matters.

An in-depth look at the growing Latin music market, why this demographic represents an alluring audience, who and how they should be targeted and in what language. What’s the secret and should there be an English crossover? More and more artist are noticing this community – even Beyonce singing in Spanish.

I’ll be sharing the mic with some brilliant folks. If it’s something you’re interested in and you’ll be here or SXSW, come see us!

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!

The SXSW Music Festival was in full swing in Austin on the second week of March.

Among the Latin offerings this year were shows from Allison, Delux, Panda, Mala Rodriguez, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Circo, Ceci Bastida, Montenegro, David Garza, Monareta, Upground, Sussie 4, Fobia, Chikita Violenta and more.

Chikita Violenta were among the most raved about with their Indie, new sound unlike the others. Their new record, Stars and Suns Sessions, was produced by David Newfeld of Broken Social Scene in Toronto and his influence clearly shows. Their sound is heavily driven by keyboard and synthesizer. They also chose to sing in English instead of their native language, which clearly shows a desire to break out in the general market.

Check them out!

From San Antonio Express News:

Tejano star Emilio Navaira remained in a fight for his life Monday, a day after suffering critical injuries when his tour bus crashed on a Houston highway.

“There is a chance he may not make it. You have to acknowledge that,” Dr. Alex Valadka, a neurosurgeon treating Navaira, said at a morning news conference at Houston’s Memorial Hermann Hospital.

“We’re not going day to day, we’re going hour by hour,” Valadka said.

Still, doctors said they were encouraged that swelling to Navaira’s brain had not worsened.

At a vigil Monday night in the Alamodome’s south parking lot, Navaira’s manager, Joe Casias, said the singer’s condition had not changed.