Chicano Rock & Folk : Los Lobos - Disconnected In New York City (Live) (2013) / Los Cenzontles & Andre Thierry (feat. David Hidalgo) - Shades Of Brown (2015)

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The wolves and the mockingbirds

One is from East Los Angeles ― Los Lobos (The Wolves) ―, the other, from the East shore of the San Francisco Bay area. Los Lobos were formed in 1973 and have so far released about 25 studio and live albums, while the fluctuating lineup band Los Cenzontles (The Mockingbirds) sprung up in 1989 as the musical showcase of the Los Cenzontles Mexican Arts Center in San Pablo, and recorded a dozen albums so far. Both are Chicano (*) bands, perfect examples of America's musical melting pot, but their approach is somewhat different.

It would be reductive to consider Los Lobos as just a Latin or Chicano band or to measure them to the inevitable musical standard of Santana. Since their debut, they borrowed from all kinds of genres (Mexican folk music, rock'n'roll, blues, Tex-Mex, country, R&B…) and blended them into an original mix that evolved from deep traditional Mexican music influences  in their very first albums to a rich multi-instrument and multi-style production today, but always with Mexican foundations that resurface regularly in their work.

Los Cenzontles, the mockingbirds

From the start Los Cenzontles approach is more closely turned towards the preservation of Mexican folk music and culture, particularly among the young generations according to the mission assigned to the Center by its founder Eugene Rodriguez : perform traditional and popular Mexican music and dance to encourage involvement by young urban participants.

Like Los Lobos, they have also enriched their music from exchanges with outside influences : half of their albums features collaborations with musicians as diverse as the Irish group The Chieftains, Ry Cooder, Taj Mahal, Los Texmaniacs, Tex-Mex accordionist Flaco Jimenez, multi-instrumentalist Shira Kammen, Mexican folk artist Atilano Lopez Patricio, or David Hidalgo from Los Lobos, present on many of their albums, in particular on this 2015 opus with Zydeco accordionist Andre Thierry.

Los Lobos, the wolves

The front man of Los Lobos collaborates so actively with the San Pablo band that he could be considered as a floating member of the group.

(*) Chicano is derived from the word Mexicano and generally applies to Californians of Mexican origin. But let's not forget that before passing under the US banner in 1850, California was a Mexican territory (1821-1848), and a former colony of the Spanish crown (1769-1821) after the invasion/exploration by the conquistadores (1542-1769). 200 years ago, Chicanos would have been at home in California and the word would never exist...

Los Lobos - Disconnected In New York City (Live) (2013)

On this thrilling live album recorded in December 2012 during shows at the City Winery in New York City, Los Lobos celebrated their fourth decade together through an exciting review of the different influences which compose the unique Los Lobos sound.
The show, not as disconnected as announced in the album's title, takes off with “The Neighborhood”, a heavy rolling blues-tinged swamp rock featuring the gripping saxophone of Steve Berlin.

Afro-Cuban percussion give a spellbinding tropical flavor to tracks like “Oh Yeah”, a kind of funky jazz fusion number with Berlin's sax again, the exciting salsa “Chuco's Cumbia” sung in Spanish, “La Venganza De Los Pelados”, or the mambo “Maria Christina” featuring Hidalgo on accordion.

Melancholic ballads like “Tears Of God” or “Tin Can Trust”, flirting with blues, have a Californian folk-rock sound à la CSN&Y, reminding more particularly the Latin touch of Stephen Stills (who spent a good part of his youth in Central America).

Los Lobos at the White House in 2009

The rock “Gotta Let You Know” takes the listener to New Orleans, with necessary sax (Berlin) and accordion (Hidalgo), while “Set Me Free (Rosa Lee)” is a solid R'n'B enhanced by the hot sax of Berlin, definitely a key member of the band.

Conrad Lozano

Two beautiful deeply emotional songs, “Malaqué” featuring a kind of flute that brings a flavor coming straight from the Andes, and “Little Things” soulfully sung by Hidalgo, shine with their sad melodic power.

Cesar Rosas (right) & David Hidalgo

The audience would be very disappointed if the band didn't include his iconic version of an old Mexican traditional “son jarocho” from the Veracruz region, “La Bamba”, probably the hit that boosted the band's name to international fame. They comply but mix it with “Good Lovin'” in the final enthralling medley.

These twelve live tracks show that Los Lobos are above all a superb Californian rock band with a very attractive personal beat (largely due to Conrad Lozano style on bass) and whose inspiration is not limited to Mexico or the US but covers a wider range from the Caribbean to farther Latin America, with the notable exception of Brazilian music.

Los Cenzontles & Andre Thierry (feat. David Hidalgo) - Shades Of Brown (2015)

The brilliant idea of bringing in Andre Thierry and his Louisiana accordion gives a particular melancholic mood to most of the tracks of this marvelous album.

As already mentioned, Los Cenzontles are based in San Pablo, a town bordering Richmond, Thierry's native town. Both places, north of Oakland and Berkeley, form an important community melting Creoles and Cajuns who migrated from Louisiana and Mexican emigrants. Inevitably both communities shared their musical cultures.

Fabiola Trujillo & Lucina Rodriguez

So it was inevitable that Los Cenzontles would work with their Zydeco accordionist neighbor on this album as well as with the inspiring help of Los Lobos' multi-instrumentalist David Hidalgo.

The musical approach seems similar to Los Lobos, but the result is very different and this particular album of Los Cenzontles is amazing. The best example is the mix of traditional Mexican folk music, Zydeco and Reggae in the same song, the outstanding “Riding To The Water”.

David Hidalgo with Fabiola Trujillo

The Mexican sound of Los Cenzontles should not be mistaken with mariachi, Tejano or Tex-Mex styles. It is based on Mexican folk.

The whole album has a melancholic, sometimes sorrowful, color produced by Thierry's accordion combined with Hidalgo's electric or acoustic guitar and with the Latin flavor of the group, and particularly their two charming vocalists Lucina Rodriguez and Fabiola Trujillo.

Traditional Mexican dance

Melancholy and melody are the two key words, from “Swingin' On A Vine” and “Tu Sonrisa”, two Latin Zydeco numbers with a soul flavor and traditional Mexican acoustic guitars, or the Calypso and Reggae mixed beat of the excellent “You Will Cry”, to the final salsa-like “El Amor, Amor”, a kind of re-take of the first track with Zydeco accordion, tropical beat and Spanish lyrics.

The beautiful melodic ballad “La Luna Y Las Estrellas”, enlightened by Thierry's accordion, Hidalgo's guitar solos and a background of horns, is an outstanding example of the unique melodic quality of this album.

In the same vein are the romantic, almost jazzy ballad “Who Is The Boy For Me”, with soul-flavored horns and trumpet by Marco Diaz; “You Put A Spell On Me” (not to be mistaken with “I Put A Spell On You”), a Zydeco ballad with Spanish lyrics; the traditional Mexican dancing song “Fin De Semana”; and “Esta Tarde”, a nice melodic Mexican folk-rock.

On the outstanding blues “Early In The Morning”, as well as on the pounding “Richmond Blues”, Thierry's accordion brings a deep Louisiana swamp flavor, completed by the excellent guitar lines of Hidalgo who shares the vocals with Thierry.

We stay in Louisiana with “Mathilda”, a number in the Fats Domino tradition with powerful horns, accordion (Thierry) and gritty guitar (Hidalgo).

But the highlight of the album is undoubtedly the emotional “Riding To The Water”, a beautiful song blending exciting Reggae-tinged dance beat with Zydeco accordion, Hidalgo's appealing guitar and poignant vocals,

Thierry's distinguished presence, the seducing vocal team Rodriguez-Trujillo, and the melodic influence of Hidalgo, produce an impressive example of musical crossover. ■

Videos

■ Los Lobos
● Documentaries & Interviews
► Two documentary films :
→ “Los Lobos del Este de Los Angeles”, 1975 : https://youtu.be/r-q40NfNSO4
→ “...And A Time To Dance”, probably late 1980s-early 1990s : https://youtu.be/yXCHCwl8BbI
► Interview, Sound Opinions, Chicago, 2016 : https://youtu.be/fVR-ozfrQOA

● Alternate live versions of the album's tracks

► “The Neighborhood” : https://youtu.be/rQzx0v36RZo
► “Oh Yeah” : https://youtu.be/y9jpQuU5jW4
► "Chuco's Cumbia" :
→ https://youtu.be/gIIv4IMg5U0
→ https://youtu.be/2B5_aGgPA84
→ https://youtu.be/LmJ9mXlly78
► "Tears of God" :
→ https://youtu.be/BwcVtoYbV-I
→ https://youtu.be/dmat1KguALQ

► “La Venganza De Los Pelados” : https://youtu.be/BKJ8pZHqjNE
► “Tin Can Trust” :
→ https://youtu.be/ElPR2yR6P2o
→ https://youtu.be/eYYJv2AV_v8
► “Gotta Let You Know” : https://youtu.be/K843IULezKI
► “Maria Christina” : https://youtu.be/jKmbQi4gRIM
► "Malaqué" : https://youtu.be/V8CaEq2Spm4
► “Little Things” :
→ https://youtu.be/t2fgS-aKCa0
→ https://youtu.be/MrCAvbNimss
→ https://youtu.be/f03Ewabg5SY
► “Set Me Free (Rosa Lee)” :
→ https://youtu.be/S7v8yFHN0Qw
→ https://youtu.be/_XeD6HD8If0
→ https://youtu.be/ZLNgyO4QKJw
→ https://youtu.be/AhWJTRTON8I
► "La Bamba/Good Lovin" : https://youtu.be/AzrOCZKUXPM

● Concerts

► Montreal, Quebec, 1985 : https://youtu.be/D52fww4BFb4
► Jam with Carlos Santana, San Rafael, CA, 1986 : https://youtu.be/x0UX9LvduaA
► The Ritz, NYC, 1987 : https://youtu.be/pqVvVwLO0yo
► Watsonville, CA, 1989 : https://youtu.be/KDLDJKIDXbM
► Woodstock Festival 99, NY, 1999 : https://youtu.be/45p4Sb3NzxU
► Mexican roots music celebration, with Los Lobos, Flaco Jimenez, Baldemar Garza Huerta aka Freddy Fender, Ruben Ramos, Rick Trevino, Joe Ely, Tish Hinojosa…, Austin City Limits, 1999 : https://youtu.be/narXa5kKB74
► Fillmore, San Francisco, 2004 : https://youtu.be/DMwWWV7vp-E
► With guests, Knuckleheads Saloon, Kansas City, MO, 2013 : https://youtu.be/MZbvcW68m78
► Los Lobos and Mariachi Nuevo Santander, Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Awards, 2014 : https://youtu.be/ULVN3a3nicA?t=87
► Cadenza, Italy, 2015 : https://youtu.be/4G5ZqJz9ydA
► Knuckleheads Saloon, Kansas City, MO, 2017 : https://youtu.be/tM1aVq8ZyYo
► Fresno, CA, 2017 : https://youtu.be/38ywa1oNYgA
► Fort Collins, CO, 2017 : https://youtu.be/7N8WSWzolME
► Tarrytown Music Hall, NY, 2018 : https://youtu.be/TUpRz7Lk_5U
► Summer Camp Music Festival, Chillicothe, IL, 2018 : https://youtu.be/eyUoSJNgkXY
► On KCRW radio, Los Angeles, 2019 : https://youtu.be/MJb5daNCPJg
► Sweetwater, CA, 2019 : https://youtu.be/31ZEIOjCc30?t=271
► Rio Bueno, Jamaica, 2020 : https://youtu.be/bMSk5TI4IiU
► Opening for the Tedeschi Trucks Band Wheels of Soul tour, 2022 :
→ https://youtu.be/MnwGU5mSFVA
→ Great South Bay Music Festival, Patchogue, NY, 2022 : https://youtu.be/XVbtTf_q3TQ
► New Haven, CT, 2022 : https://youtu.be/5zPcjwpIjqc
► Chicago Blues Festival, 2023 : https://youtu.be/bVlVGD-8Qvg?t=21309

■ Los Cenzontles

● Documentary films
► “Caminos del Son, Los Cenzontles exploration of the son jarocho in Veracruz”, Mexico, 2004 : https://youtu.be/pitbEGtHziY
► The collaboration between Los Cenzontles and Los Lobos front man David Hidalgo in 2007, that ultimately became the Los Cenzontles' album “Songs of Wood and Steel” : https://youtu.be/tWggv-1fNN0
► “Vivir”, about the Los Cenzontles Cultural Arts Academy of San Pablo, California, directed by Ricardo Braojos and produced by Eugene Rodriguez, founder of Los Cenzontles, 2008 : https://youtu.be/Xgifp5-SXoQ
► Chronicle of Los Cenzontles tour of Cuba in 2016 : https://youtu.be/TDhsRIo3H1M

● Concerts
►  “Shades of Brown - Zydeco Mexican Connection” live (17-track playlist), Los Cenzontles, Andre Thierry & David Hidalgo, 2014: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLyx48W2ztYrZPLTCjjKMka_-vJ5_4oYRT
---------------------------------
► “Pajaro Cu”, Los Cenzontles, Getty Center, Los Angeles, 2023 : https://youtu.be/kTAXdl8ycEk
► “La Bruja”, Los Cenzontles & Los Cenzontles Juvenil, 2022 : https://youtu.be/AZ1BWgiMtmU

► “Somebody Please”, Los Cenzontles with David Hidalgo, Cesar Rosas & La Marisoul, 2021 : https://youtu.be/p7Sb1hDOQ0c
► Clip : “El Corrido de Anza”, 2020 : https://youtu.be/BgcSY_FKw0k
► Kennedy Center, Washington, DC, 2019 : https://youtu.be/RPpuJjA78Ks
► “Los Juiles”, Sonora, Mexico, 2019 : https://youtu.be/L8uFnm02AF4
► American Folklife Center, Washington, DC, 2019 : https://youtu.be/5EQbKiaQh9w?t=311
► “Cortez The Killer”, Los Cenzontles with Shira Kammen, 2018 : https://youtu.be/QYI_TIU-zq4
► Pachanga for Los Cenzontles Cultural Arts Academy, with Dave Alvin, David Hidalgo, Los Cenzontles, Flaco Jimenez, Max Baca, Pete Sears..., San Francisco, 2017 : https://youtu.be/WsFtmN2cBq4
► “Mi Unico Camino”, Los Cenzontles with David Hidalgo :
→ 2017 : https://youtu.be/kDk46KnRfHc
→ 2008 : https://youtu.be/QCoOGT-Mv9g
► “Every Kinda People”, Los Cenzontles with David Hidalgo, 2017 : https://youtu.be/mBRpztXrRCM
► “Wasted Days & Wasted Nights”, Los Cenzontles with David Hidalgo & Jon Logan, 2017 : https://youtu.be/i4JuAoT8HA0
► “My Father's Accordion”, Flaco Jimenez & Los Cenzontles, 2016 : https://youtu.be/ntJQEQYW0FM
► “Naninan Upirin”, 2015 : https://youtu.be/q3-5MO80C6g
► “Cortez The Killer”, 2014 : https://youtu.be/gm3vfDI2_hE
► “La Bamba” jam, Los Cenzontles with David Hidalgo, 2012 : https://youtu.be/D8OwuOWBJqQ
► “Caballo Viejo”, Los Cenzontles with David Hidalgo, 2008 : https://youtu.be/_3mIMdj5hsM
► “Crei”, Los Cenzontles with David Hidalgo & Pete Sears, 2008 : https://youtu.be/OMP5Egje-AA
► “La Bamba”, 2007 : https://youtu.be/6ID45yxELHg
► “La Candela” / “Cuarto de Tula”, 2007 : https://youtu.be/VZow0ZiRkkM
► “El Aguanieve” / “El Zapateado”, 2007 : https://youtu.be/00ObhZOlt0k
► “La Iguana”, 2005 : https://youtu.be/1cergKoJpeQ
► Los Cenzontles & Julian Gonzalez, San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival Audition, 2002 : https://youtu.be/-FmfUBHMjm4
► “La Guacamaya”, Los Cenzontles with Gilberto Gutierrez, 1993 : https://youtu.be/DoHAZMXh_R4
► “La Vieja”, 1990 : https://youtu.be/WmtuorgFodA