LOS CENZONTLES WITH DAVID HIDALGO & TAJ MAHAL

American Horizon

2009-11-15

Los Cenzontles (The Mockingbirds) is a group of musicians based at the Los Cenzontles Mexican Arts Center in California. Their goal is to celebrate their Mexican roots while adding their own voices to the mix. On this release, with the help of David Hidalgo and Taj Mahal, they succeed in forming an updated traditional sound. Whether they are performing conventional music or their own compositions, they've given the music a contemporary feel by adding modern blues and rock touches. The album starts out strong with the Latin-noir "La Luna". Another good one is the rocker "Overtime". Electric bass and violin give the traditional tune "Cascabel" a modern feel. If you don't like the sound of one song, stick around for the next one, as it'll likely be quite different. These songs range from blues ballads (La Fuerza) to traditional Latin (Pajaro Cu) to spoken word (No Hay Trabajo) to contemporary Latin (Solo Quiero Bailar). Rebecca Ruth

Quick Links:

• Los Cenzontles Productions Website