Musica

A song about a new understanding, “No te quiero nada,” is driven by strumming guitars and the sisters’ vocal harmonies. The single is from Ha*Ash’s upcoming “Habitación doble” CD, scheduled for release in August.”*

Ry Cooder has been exhuming and reappraising overlooked areas of the musical culture of America (and beyond, as the Buena Vista Social Club can vouch) for so long now that he has become part of the story himself. More than four decades since he emerged as an electric blues guitarist so highly rated that he turned down an offer to join the Rolling Stones, Cooder continues to ferret out unfamiliar and neglected stories.

I, Flathead is the third part of a loose Southern California trilogy that kicked off with the acclaimed Chavez Ravine in 2005, an elegy for a destroyed Latino community in the heart of Los Angeles. Its follow-up, My Name is Buddy, told the history of US labour as seen by a folk-singing cat (how else?). I, Flathead, though, is an unashamed tribute to Californian strange. A set of linked songs supposedly performed by one Kash Buk, a jobbing musician and salt flats racer (a “flathead” is an early V-8 engine), it explicitly evokes an era of “popular mechanics” magazines, sci-fi comics and demobbed servicemen in search of a thrill, the time and place that threw up the Church of Scientology, the Hell’s Angels and Disneyland. The modern world, in fact. “*

Harveys Lake Tahoe and Another Planet Entertainment are proud to present An Evening with Luis Miguel, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2008 at Harveys Outdoor Arena.”*

“Mendes is still in the throes of a love affair with perhaps his country’s most important export…There are few musicians as gifted as pianist-arranger Mendes in creating fusions that resonate with popular taste and retain a high level of artistry… Mendes is back with ‘Encanto (Enchantment),’ another creative and contemporary reworking of the classics of Brazilian popular music…Mendes delves deeper into the canon, resurrecting such tunes as “Waters of March,” “Agua de Beber” and Burt Bacharach’s bossa foray “The Look of Love.”… Mendes turns some of Antonio Carlos Jobim’s lesser-known gems - “Dreamer” and “Lugar Comum” - into entirely new delights…The album’s most memorable track, and strongest hit single, is Fergie’s house-ish treatment of “The Look of Love,”…But Carlinhos Brown’s “Odo-Ya,” along with “Funky Bahia,” importantly casts a spotlight on Brazil’s northeastern region and its rootsier, percussion-oriented samba.” –NEWSDAY (Sunday, 6/15)

On The Strength Of Early Critical Praise And High Visibility At Starbucks Stores Across The Country, The Brazilian Legend’s Quintessential Summer Album Will Bow At #1 On Billboard’s “Top Contemporary Jazz” Chart

“Legendary musician Sergio Mendes [releases] a new album of samba-style classics and new funk —Following the success of his 2006 album ‘Timeless’, Mendes [returns with] an even fresher sound.” – Associated Press

“modern Brazilian jazz-fusion with an array of excellent musicians…

Fergie, doing ‘The Look of Love’ is [a] career highlight”- All Music

“Encanto gives us the best of both hemispheres.”- Village Voice

“4 ½ Stars… an album that features one terrific international artist after another.”- About.com

“Encanto is a true meeting of the cool-cat minds…the LP hits enviable high-water marks” –cnet

“Music as sunny, colorful and sexy as the album cover… overflowing with happy, richly arranged tunes that will enlighten your summer” – La Onda Tropical

“the Brazilian legend teams with another lineup of superb guests, and the results are transcendent… ‘Encanto’ sparkles with samba rhythms spiced with hip-hop grooves and shimmery pop melodies.” – Performing Songwriter

Look For Sergio Mendes To Launch A String Of Summer Concert Dates This Week, Highlighted By A Return Headlining Appearance At Carnegie Hall For The JVC Jazz Festival

Jun 20 - Atlantic City, NJ - House of Blues                   Jun 25 - Somerville, MA - Somerville Theatre

Jun 21 - New York, NY - Carnegie Hall                      Jun 27 - Syracuse, NY - Syracuse Jazz Festival

Jun 22 - Bridgeport, CT - Klein Memorial Auditorium Jun 28 - Toronto, ON - Music Hall

Jun 23 - Philadelphia, PA - World Café Live                 Jul 01 - Vienna, VA - The Filene Center

See The Video For First Single Funky Bahia At: http://youtube.com/watch?v=pTHNH6VSmCk

Or See Press EPK & More At: http://sergiomendesmusic.com/

First Single “El Presente” Notches A Fourth Consecutive Week At #1 in Mexico, And Leaps Into The Top-20 At Radio in The United States

“[Julieta Venegas: MTV Unplugged] is magical…To enjoy Julieta Venegas, one must truly listen to and see this new CD and DVD…Julieta took the acoustic concept to another level. Not only was she accompanied by virtuoso musicians, but she created a musical world were she reinvented her own songs, innovated sounds and brought magic to the stage with her collaborations”- La Opinion-La Vibra COVER (translated)

To Celebrate The Release Of Her Already Critically Praised Unplugged CD & DVD, Julieta Venegas Was In New York To Tape MTV Tr3’s MiTRL and To Meet Fans At An In-store While The Complete Unplugged Performance Was Seen Above On A Giant Times Square Video Screen

Tune-In To MTV Tr3s At 4:00PM (ET) on Thursday, June 19^th To See Julieta On MiTRL

“For her [Unplugged], the smart, lyrical singer-songwriter made sure to never zap any energy from her thoughtful, spirited and sometimes offbeat brand of Latin pop and rock with a Mexican twist. [Venegas] gathered a studio full of great artists – including guests Gustavo Santaolalla, Marisa Monte and La Mala Rodríguez – then comfortably refashioned staples as well as four fresh tracks. There’s no pigeonholing her. “El Presente,” one of the new tunes, [is] breezy, up-tempo and perfect for radio… then she throws in “Algún Día,” a delightful tuba- and banjo-fueled jaunt” - Dallas Morning News

“[Julieta Venegas: MTV Unplugged finds] Venegas armed with the best musicians and collaborators who she could find from all corners of the planet.” – People en Espanol

Julieta Venegas with MiTRL host Carlos Santos at MTV’s Times Square Studio – Credit: Brian Appio/ mtvtr3s.com

Spanish Harlem’s Own

Zon del Barrio

opens for Puerto Rico’s

Friday, June 20, 2008
5 - 11 p.m.
Columbus, Ohio
Downtown  Genoa Park
Food- Marketplace – Dance
For ticket information: 614.645.3800

Tickets are also available at all Ticketmaster outlets and www.ticketmaster.com. To purchase tickets by phone, please call (614) 431-3600 or (614) 469-0939. Additional service fees apply to tickets purchased through Ticketmaster or by phone.

Guests are encouraged to bring blankets for lawn seating. Coolers, chairs, tents, pets, and umbrellas are not permitted.
* Friday admission is FREE for children 10 and under

If rain location is necessary, the concert will be moved to the
Palace Theater (34 W. Broad Street). Palace Theater will also be general admission seating.

New York, NY –June 18, 2008 – Hispanic Magazine calls “Spanish Harlem’s Zon del Barrio, an outfit steeped in nostalgia while exploding into the future.”  Featuring Fania All Star legend, Yomo Toro and Cortijo alum, singer/songwriter Sammy Ayala, ZDB brings it’s foot-stomping Latin dance drive from the streets of Spanish Harlem to Global Stages. Zon del Barrio’s debut CD, Cortijo’s Tribe / La Tribu de Cortijo, has been rated among the top ten of 2007 by Radio France, Venezuela’s El Magazine de la Salsa, Cali, Colombia and South Florida’s radio stations.

A high octane dance band, Zon del Barrio is an innovative and dynamic New York Latin music band that brings the dance music from the streets of Latin New York to the stage.  From the plena (popular during the turn of the last century) to the saucy strains of salsa amid the back beat of reggaeton laced with jazz, Zon del Barrio brings the beat of the streets to the hearts of dancers everywhere.

An intergenerational band whose members range from 16 to 75, Zon del Barrio was founded and is led by Latin music historian, writer, composer and musician Aurora Flores with musical director David Fernandez. Zon del Barrio’s Cortijo’s Tribe: La Tribu de Cortijo features two masters of Afro-Puerto Rican music, Yomo Toro, the King of the cuatro (the national 10-stringed guitar of the island) and an original member of Cortijo y Su Combo: Sammy Ayala.

Zon del Barrio is a play on words for the musical genre of “son” found in all the “barrio zon”es of Latino communities world wide. Bringing dance style classic Afro-Antillian music from the barrios, Zon del Barrio bring its energizing, foot stomping, funk based classic salsa (Afro-Cuban), plena, bomba & boogalu to their “live” performances.

“Representin’ on 5″ Aurora & Zon del Barrio were the houseband for the National Puerto Rican Day Parade on Sunday, June 8th where the band’s music was showcased to millions of New Yorkers and over the television and airwaves.

YouTube - Cortijo’s Tribe, Zon del Barrio, Sammy Ayala en Carnaval
Zon del Barrio pays tribute to Cortijo & Maelo in this concert featuring Sammy Ayala In this finale, Zon del Barrio .

MySpaceTV Videos: Carnaval w/Zon del Barrio: Severa by Zon del Barrio
Carnaval w/Zon del Barrio: Severa by Zon del Barrio Watch it on MySpace Videos.

Upcoming Performances:

Sunday, June 29th: Zon del Barrio will be taking the mainstage of the Boston Puerto Rican Day Parade in Franklin Park, Massachusettes where they will be joined by Sammy Ayala, Yomo Toro and 20 dancers from Danza Fiesta’s theatrical dance troupe.

Visit our websites at: www.zondelbarrio.com
Where History Becomes Music &
oldskool gets a new beat

www.youtube.com/aurorazdb

Mexican rock/pop singer says Alejandra Guzmán says that on her new CD “Fuerza” she learned that the best way to help yourself is to help others.

“I have been through so much, from surviving cancer and alcoholism, that I feel if I can help someone else, I am more than happy to do it,” she said in her native Spanish during a recent interview.

Guzmán was in a refreshing good mood. Her latest CD “Fuerza,” has just been awarded gold and platinum awards for top sales in Mexico. “*

La banda mexicana Panteón Rococó se va a Europa.

El grupo que se destaca por los temas de rock y ska se prepara para una intensa gira de tres meses por varios festivales de música en el Viejo Continente, en donde tendrán un total de 64 presentaciones, se informó el martes.”*

If Victor Manuelle wanted to get half the crowd at Central Park SummerStage whooping on Sunday afternoon, he need only have performed the tiniest of gyrations with his hips. If he wanted both halves to make a ruckus, he need only have waved a Puerto Rican flag.

For weeks before, the show had been plugged on the New York Latin radio station La Kalle 105.9 — “Completamente gratis!” the commercials screamed. And so the show was packed, but not so tightly that couples who were inclined to dance, and there were many, didn’t have room.”*

To promote the new release, Gian Marco has established a website, where the Peruvian singer’s fans can go and see exclusive videos, pictures and listen to songs from the new Desde Adentro album.

www.gianmarco.com.pe was launched as a site that allows fans to find out more about the Peruvian star.”*

A super-class sonero, Cheo Feliciano traveled the world with Fania All Star icons Ray Barretto and Héctor Lavoe during salsa’s glory days of the 1970s.

On June 20, a dozen Latin music legends will celebrate his 50th anniversary in music, a long overdue tribute at Madison Square Garden’s WaMu Theater.

“It’s about time,” said Oscar Hernández, leader of the Spanish Harlem Orchestra, who will participate. “If there’s anybody who deserves a tribute like this it’s Cheo Feliciano.””*

Colombian rocker Cabas is touring behind a new CD titled “Amores Dificiles.”

a recent interview, he said his new album “is a little more acoustic than my previous ones.”

As implied by the title, the themes are all about romantic adventures.

“The songs are all about love. Good loves, bad loves,” he said in his native Spanish. “All the good loves have been difficult loves too with unforgettable moments.”“*

Este 17 de junio la cantante mexicana Paulina Rubio está celebrando su onomástico número 37, pero no por eso deja de lado los preparativos de su nuevo material discográfico junto a Aleks Syntek. Luego de su éxito con su producción Ananda, la también actriz trabaja junto a Syntek en su noveno disco que saldrá en otoño próximo y se podría llamar “Pausión”.”*

A famous Nicaraguan revolutionary singer-songwriter has asked the government to stop using his music.

Carlos Mejia Godoy, who penned the hymn of the ruling Sandinista National Liberation Front, said in a letter published Saturday that President Daniel Ortega and his staff are not authorized to use his songs at government events.

He did not dispute the use of the party hymn he wrote, but he gave government-supported television and radio outlets a week to stop using a version that he recorded.”*

Multi-platinum hip hop artist Johnny Prez has launched Prezident Music, a music production company and record label based in his home town of San Juan, Puerto Rico with a satellite office in New York City to open in July.

(Photo: www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080617/NYTU073 )

Prezident Music’s future release forecast will include Johnny Prez’s next CD titled “Imperdonable” which is currently being produced by Johnny Prez and with co-producers Scott Storch, Elvis Garcia, and Predicador. Other artists to be featured on the CD are Lil Wayne, Akon, and Jamie Foxx. “Imperdonable” is expected to be released later this year worldwide. As for other artists on the label, Prezident Music has been developing a promising rapper by the name of Princestar, a seventeen-year-old Puerto Rican rapper from Brooklyn. Production on Princetar’s project will begin shortly at the Prezident Music studios in San Juan with a projected winter ‘09 release.

“We are extremely excited about Princestar; he is extremely talented, unique, genuine, down to earth and full of energy. He reminds me a lot of Johnny — both have positive messages in their music and aim to please their audiences,” says Ruben Malaret, Manager for both Johnny Prez and Princestar. Princestar will be making several special appearances throughout the summer at various music festivals and venues in major cities throughout the United States. “We want to introduce Princestar to the masses of attendees at these festivals; they will love him,” continued Malaret.

Prezident Music is currently developing a reality series to air on VH1, a series that will help Prezident Music find their next artist. More information on the show and how upcoming artists can participate will be available on the label’s official web site: www.prezidentmusic.com . For updates and more information on Johnny Prez and Princestar, please visit their official web sites: www.johnny-prez.com and www.princestar.com
Website: www.prezidentmusic.com/
Website: www.johnny-prez.com/
Website:

The Group Joins The Vans Warped Tour For 44 Dates, Kicking Off In Phoenix On June 25th

The Pinker Tones Will Perform An Extended Set Each Night In The Skull Candy Electronic Music Tent

“[Pinker Tones’ ‘Wild Animals’ is] an endorphin-goosing dance album.”
- ROLLING STONE

“This Barcelona duo hit like a spicier Daft Punk, keeping the retro electronica but trading the po-mo mind games for hip-twisting grooves… for fans of Chromeo and Kraftwerk.”
- SPIN MAGAZINE

” Raising the bar for electronica used to be the realm of bands like Depeche Mode and New Order  – but now groups like The Pinker Tones are bringing a wild energy and ambitious focus to a new generation.”
- ASSOCIATED  PRESS

” Whatever crops up in the music — retro-funk breakdowns, bachelor-pad bossa novas, catchy choruses in Romance languages — the beat endures and thrives [on Wild Animals].”
- NEW YORK TIMES

” The boys from Barcelona hit the streets with [Wild Animals], a surprisingly confident and joyful collection of jaunty hooks and mondo beats that fully exploits all that the Pinker Tones hear and integrate in their port city.”
- THE WASHINGTON POST

“This group from Barcelona has developed a brilliant way to bring people to a musical climax thanks to their genius fusion of languages and rhythms in an electronic mood. ‘Wild Animals’ is one of the most amazing albums of the year.”
- PEOPLE EN ESPAÑOL

“Like some sort of hipster virus, the Pinker Tones’ poppy electronica has spread from the duo’s hometown of Barcelona.”
-BILLBOARD

The critics are buzzing about Barcelona-based electronic act The Pinker Tones‘ new album, ‘Wild Animals‘, as the group prepares to join the Vans Warped Tour on June 25 th in Phoenix. The dynamic duo will perform an extended set each night in the Skull Candy electronic music tent on the entire 44 date tour (SEE FULL TOUR DATES LISTING BELOW).

‘Wild Animals’ features a wide array of special vocal guests including reggae soul legend Jimmy Lindsay from Cymande on “The Whistling Song” and Amparo from Spanish band Amparanoia on “Electrotumbao”. First single will be the track, “Happy Everywhere.”

“Our last album, ‘The Million Colour Revolution’, was about utopia, a projection for how we wanted the world to be,” Mister Furia explains. “‘Wild Animals’ is about reality, our interpretation of the actual world we live in. Songs like “The Whistling Song”, “24″ and “On Se Promenait” are some of our happiest and most nostalgic yet.”

Just in 2007, the group was the subject of a New York Times feature, had an A&E television special, performed on KCRW’s “Morning Becomes Eclectic”, had a song featured on hit sitcoms “Ugly Betty” and “Entourage” and saw heavy video play on networks like mtvU, MTV Tr3s, Mun2, and LATV. The Pinker Tones also made a major splash at last year’s SXSW, where they performed five shows in only 36 hours and also blew away the audience at KCRW’s Sounds Eclectic Evening in Los Angeles alongside leading artists like The Shins, Lily Allen and Rodrigo and Gabriela. The Pinker Tones recent single “Karma Hunters” was also selected by national bilingual youth network Mun2 as the theme song for its popular reality show ‘Chicas Project’.

This past August, The Pinker Tones released ‘More Colours!’, an album complete with infectious remixes and collaborations featuring a stellar lineup of artists including Kinky, Nortec Collective, Zeta Bosio (Soda Stereo) and Mexican Institute of Sound.   Over several national U.S. tours throughout 2007, the DJ crew brought their electrifying set to fans across the country. The New York Times even claimed that, “Unlike many electronica acts, The Pinker Tones thrive onstage.” With a live show that combines the intensity of a rock band and the excitement of a DJ set, the group is moving along on the path to global domination. The Pinker Tones have ventured from Barcelona to such faraway places as London, Caracas, Buenos Aires, Moscow, Toronto, Beijing and Johannesburg.

THE PINKER TONES ON VANS WARPED TOUR 2008 (SKULL CANDY TENT)

Wed Jun 25 - Cricket Wireless Pavilion, Phoenix, AZ
Thu Jun 26 - New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM
Sat Jun 28 - Utah State Fair, Salt Lake City, UT
Sun Jun 29 - Invesco Field At Mile High, Denver, CO
Tue Jul 01 - Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, St Louis , MO
Wed Jul 02 - Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, Bonner Springs, KS
Thu Jul 03 - Superpages.com Center, Dallas, TX
Sat Jul 05 - Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, Selma, TX
Sun Jul 06 - Sam Houston Race Park, Houston, TX
Wed Jul 09 - Lakewood Exhibition Center, Atlanta, GA
Thu Jul 10 - Central Florida Fairgrounds, Orlando, FL
Fri Jul 11 - Vinoy Park, Petersburg, FL
Sat Jul 12 - Bicentennial Park, Miami, FL
Sun Jul 13 - St Johns County Fairgrounds, Elkton, FL
Mon Jul 14 - Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, Charlotte, NC
Tue Jul 15 - Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, Virginia Beach, VA
Wed Jul 16 - Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD
Thu Jul 17 - Tower Amphitheatre, Cleveland, OH
Fri Jul 18 - Comerica Park, Detroit, MI
Sat Jul 19 - Downsview Park Allen Road, Toronto, ON
Sun Jul 20 - Park Jean Drapeau, Montreal, QC
Wed Jul 23 - Tweeter Center for the Performing Arts, Mansfield, MA
Thu Jul 24 - Darien Lake P.A.C., Darien Center, NY
Fri Jul 25 - Susquehanna Bank Center, Camden, NJ
Sat Jul 26 - Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, NY
Sun Jul 27 - Toyota Pavilion, Scranton, PA
Mon Jul 28 - Raceway Park, Englishtown, NJ
Tue Jul 29 - Post Gazette Pavilion At Star Lake, Pittsburgh, PA
Wed Jul 30 - Riverbend Amphitheatre, Cincinnati, OH
Thu Jul 31 - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, Noblesville, IN
Fri Aug 01 - Marcus Amphitheater, Milwaukee, WI
Sat Aug 02 - First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre, Tinley Park, IL
Sun Aug 03 - Canterbury Park, Shakopee, MN
Tue Aug 05 - Credit Union Centre, Saskatoon, SK
Wed Aug 06 - Race City Speedway, Calgary, AB
Fri Aug 08 - Idaho Center Amphitheatre, Nampa, ID
Sat Aug 09 - Gorge Amphitheatre, George, WA
Sun Aug 10 - Columbia Meadows, St. Helens, OR
Wed Aug 13 - Save Mart Center, Fresno, CA
Thu Aug 14 - Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre, Chula Vista, CA
Fri Aug 15 - Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, CA
Sat Aug 16 - Sleep Train Amphitheatre, Marysville, CA
Sun Aug 17 - The Home Depot Center, Carson, CA

For more information about The Pinker Tones and Wild Animals, please contact:
Paul Dryden (paul.dryden@cookman.com) or
Jennifer Sarkissian (Jennifer.sarkissian@cookman.com)
at Nacional Records - 818.763.1397.

“Llegamos!” exclaimed a young man as he and his friends loaded down with picnic gear clambered off a Metra train at the Ravinia stop Saturday. As they ventured into the park to see Los Tigres del Norte, the godfathers of norteno music, their simple declaration of “we’re here!” also set the theme for the evening.

For decades, the San Jose-based Los Tigres del Norte, who hail from the Mexican state of Sinaloa, have celebrated the immigrant experience in song, especially in uptempo, polka-inflected narratives known as corridos. These story songs, sung “directo al corazon” — to borrow the title of one of the band’s many hit discs — chronicle life on the other side of the border and the sacrifices involved in the journey.”*

More than 40 years after becoming the most successful Latino folk rocker ever, Trini Lopez is generating some new buzz.

He received a Lifetime Entertainment Award from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in November at the first Latinos of Distinction Awards Dinner in Ontario. He was inducted into the Las Vegas Walk of Stars in May. And in November, he’ll host a PBS special at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles with 10 guest artists of his choosing.

Lopez, who semi-retired to his Palm Springs home in 1981, has sold more than 100 million copies of his 63 albums, by his biographer’s estimate, but he’s hottest outside of America.”*

Join the fun at the Sun Valley Center for the Arts’ second annual ¡Fandango! outdoor concert, presented in association with the College of Southern Idaho’s Sun Valley Summer Spanish Institute and sponsored by Mountain West Bank.

Los Pinguos, an L.A.-based band that got its start in Buenos Aires, will perform its vivacious, infectious Latin dance music starting at 7 pm Friday, June 20, on the lawn at the Sun Valley Center for the Arts, Hailey, at 314 Second Ave. South. Bring your blanket and chairs out to The Center, Hailey (the McKercher house), settle in with a snack from the taco truck, grab a beer or wine, and get ready to kick off your shoes and get up and move! “*

The first striking thing about Azucar de Amor, Kat Parra’s sophomore effort, is that she has assembled a hell of a band: the credits are littered with Latin music stalwarts such as pianist Jovino Santos Neto, percussionist John Santos, and trumpeter Ray Vega.

Those whose names may not be so familiar also sound great. This is the case with trombonist Wayne Wallace, whose languid solo enriches his arrangement of Erroll Garner’s “Misty.” And then there’s the versatility of pianist Murray Low, “el chinito de las teclas,” as Parra calls him just before his fine solo on “Pedacito de Mi Vida.””*

The incomparable and famous TV conductor, Don Francisco, from the prime time Program “Sabado Gigante” that airs thru Univision Networks, has extended an invitation to our artist Jackie Arredondo to present for the first time to their International audience, her new single “Contra la Corriente”

Yes, this Saturday, June 14th , Jackie Arredondo and her Mariachi Band, will be singing her most recent recording in “Sabado Gigante”

Sabado Gigante airs thru Univision Networks each Saturday from 8:00 to 11:00 PM Eastern Standard Time.

After the breakup of Bacilos, his successful folk-pop trio from Miami, Jorge Villamizar found himself drawn to the native country he left behind.

“I grew up musically in the Miami scene, with people like Elsten Torres from Fulano, the guys from La Secta, the Spam Allstars,” Villamizar says. “But I became more attracted to Colombia. I bought a house there and decided to collaborate with musicians from there.”

Villamizar, whose new self-titled solo album was released last week on Warner Music Latina, cherishes his time with Bacilos. The partnership yielded three albums and a massive single, “Mi Primer Millon (My First Million),” that reconciled the gap between creative songwriting and massive sales.”*

n her native Puerto Rico, Rosalie Bocelli-Hernández grew up calling kites “cometas.” When she started working for Durham City Parks and Recreation, she was surprised that other Latin Americans have at least 10 different words for kite: “Papalote, chiringa, cometa … I have a list. That was so funny,” says Bocelli-Hernández.

This experience of linguistic and cultural diversity within their own ranks is common for Latinos, she says. And as she spearheads Durham’s 4th annual Latino Festival, she invites Durham residents to learn a lesson in diversity from the city’s Latino residents.”*

In 2001 Jorge Ledezma was playing synths in Defender with his older brother, Angel, on drums and their friend Gabor Meszaros also on synths. I’d probably seen them open for dozens of indie and punk bands by then—like hundreds of bands in Chicago, they had enough juice to snag a good support slot, but not to headline. But at around that time Jorge decided to stop competing with those bands—he wanted to leapfrog past them, and the ones they were opening for too. He set his sights on the lofty heights occupied by universally recognized pop geniuses like Brian Wilson.

The catalyst was a song he was recording with Defender called “El Movimiento.” It had strayed from their Krautrock-inspired synth-punk style, and he and Angel thought it would be better served by their side project, Allá, whose much more organic sound marries colorful psych pop and Mexican folk. Gradually the Defender album they were working on became Allá’s in-progress debut, and the side project became their focus. Jorge, then 24, decided that the Allá record would be his “do-or-die moment.””*

go to their MySpace page to give them a listen