Los Cenzontles’ gutsy rhythms and delightful voices reinvigorated my love of Mexican music. Linda Ronstadt
Los Cenzontles didn’t need more than a tuba, a trumpet, a thudding bass drum and a pair of clarinets to turn the club into a raucous cantina. The New York Times
Los Cenzontles ("The Mockingbirds") is an eight-member Mexican music ensemble that celebrates the innovation and imagination of Mexican music, weaving together centuries-old musical traditions with contemporary sounds of the world stage. The group, directed by Grammy-nominated producer Eugene Rodriguez, is currently recording a CD with Los Lobos David Hidalgo and has performed and recorded alongside Los Lobos, Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano, Grupo Mono Blanco, Los Tigres del Norte, Lalo Guerrero, Flaco Jimanez, and Santiago Jimenez Jr.
Los Cenzontles, Nahuatl for The Mockingbirds, is a group of artists that has pioneered the revival of Mexican roots music for almost two decades, promoting cultural expression in their neighborhood and beyond. Fronting the group is the dynamic vocal dueto of Fabiola Trujillo and Lucina Rodriguez and sonero Hugo Arroyo. The Mockingbirds effortlessly mix electric bass and drums with traditional Mexican instruments "jarana, vihuela, requinto, pandero and quijada (jawbone) " creating a powerful contemporary sound infused with the gutsy soul of Mexico's rural roots music.
Los Cenzontles features four distinct styles of regional Mexican music, each with its unique instrumentation: Traditional Mariachi, Son Jarocho of Veracruz, Tex-Mex Conjunto, and Pirecuas and Sones of Michoacan. In addition, a program by Los Cenzontles will include original songs from their most recent CD, los senn-sont-less, an album that that fuses elements of traditional music with rock & roll, country, reggae, rock en español and R&B.
Joining Los Cenzontles will be Taller friend, songwriter and performer, Dan Zanes. Called the "Pete Seeger for the new century" by the Washington Post, Dan won the 2007 Grammy Award for Best Children's Album - Catch that Train. With Nueva York, his latest album (partially recorded here at El Taller with Bernardo Palombo as Executive Producer), Dan has successfully crossed over into the Latin Pop charts and into the Spanish-speaking world. With a repertoire of blues, rock and folk songs, Zanes is a popular phenomenon for adults and kids alike. It's always a party!
