Last week we brought you Part 1 of this Q & A with some of our favorite Latin artists. We left you hanging but never fear, because we’re back with the loaded question of “What is ‘Latin’ music to you?”
OS: What is “Latin” to you? (There’s no wrong answer!) Do you define it more by the music or the musicians? For example, a Latino rock band is a rock band, but do you also consider this “Latin music?”
Bergman Pazs: All the music styles based on Caribbean, Central and South American evolution of music.
Gio Vanne from Orbita: Well, a lot people are getting confused with this so-called term “Latin.” For example: a “Latin-Rock band” playing songs in English and none of [their] songs are in Spanish??? I [w]ould not consider them a “Latino-Rock band” even [if] all his band members are Latinos.
David Rolas: What I do is music, period. Whether it’s Latino-influenced or not…it’s music. The style of music I do is hip hop. A lot of people or even other artists might beg to differ with me. But it’s true: Music is music.
OS:Just for fun, not including yourself do you have any favorite Latin artists on OurStage you’d like to share with our readers?
DR: I think what’s cool about OurStage.com is that you guys give an opportunity to the underdog. The artist that hasn’t had the exposure needed to be heard.
One of the most characteristic traits of Latin music as a genre is how it encompasses a broad spectrum of styles both new and old. While this can be said about many kinds of music, Latin has a particularly rich history behind it. With so many countries and peoples within South and Central America and elsewhere contributing to the “Latin” concept it’s not much of a stretch to think of this genre as a tree with many, many branches.
As new trends emerge and the genre evolves, it becomes even more accessible to artists who want to change it further. It’s like a snowball effect; modern Latin musicians inspired from traditional salsa, merengue and flamenco music whip out the electric guitar. Just look at Santana!
We’re always impressed with the diversity of sounds found in the Latin Channel. The best part is one can really enjoy leaving a jazzy track to move on to a Shakira-style pop tune. Or following up an upbeat rhumba-infused song with Latin ska. Our playlist today reflects just that: new and old, traditional and modern and the mixing of Latin styles. It’s got enough old school flair to make your abuelo happy but modern enough for groovin’. (Think bachata spelled with a 4 at the end.)
Orbita is without a doubt one of New Jersey’s most exciting up-and-coming Latin Rock bands. Their influences run the gamut from multilingual, classic artists like Manu Chão, to punk/reggae/ska acts like Sublime and Los Rabanes, all the way to modern Latin favorite Café Tacuba. Traces of all these artists can be found in Orbita’s energetic brand of rock music. As for Orbita’s members, they share a variety of Latino backgrounds, hailing from Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, and Ecuador, as well as the Garden State itself.
Vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Gio tells us that the band has been playing “a lot over the last seven years, places like B.B. King, festivals, benefit concerts, college shows, and private parties everywhere in the tri-state area. We’re currently concentrating on the album and preparing new songs for next year.”
After a lot of hard work, their new, highly-anticipated disc—Masca chicle y no hagas bomba—is slated to come out in October. Right now Orbita is also getting ready for their upcoming shows, which you can take a look at here.
“We really appreciate your help for band like us that are underground in the Latin Rock scene! Gracias again and looking forward to post more new songs on OurStage.com!”
Sunday night I witnessed one of only three US stops on Café Tacuba’s 20:20 Tour. This pivotal Mexican band has been together for twenty years and is celebrating this milestone by playing shows in twenty cities all over North and South America as well as Europe. When I found out they weren’t coming to Boston, I bought a bus ticket to New York City and reserved my room in the closest hostel without missing a beat. It would be my third time seeing the band and the show turned out to be worth way more than what the trip cost. Manhattan was pulsating from start to finish with the Hammerstein Ballroom as its heart.
It also happens to have my lucky number on the cover.
I first fell in love with Café Tacuba’s unique sound in 2003 when their album Cuatro Caminos came out. I was bored with the music I found in Newbury Comics‘ negligible Latin section. (Love the store guys, but Latin music isn’t all Shakira and Maná!) After reading the sticker on the front of the CD (a quote from some music review hailing Cuatro Caminos as “The Latin Kid A“), I bought the album. It quickly became one of few CDs I consistently enjoy listening to from start to finish. Unfortunately for me, the band almost never played shows further north than Texas and California since the bulk of their fan base was, logically, Mexican. I assumed I would never see them live… until Sino came out in 2007, and they began to tour once again. I didn’t just get to see them live: I got to see them twice in as many years.
