QuetzalQuetzal
Worksongs (Vanguard 79738-2, 2003)
Mestizaje (or mestizo) is a Spanish word used more and more to describe musical hybrids in Spanish speaking countries. The Hispanic melting pot in southern California has been producing some really interesting musical combinations for many years. East Los Angeles band Quetzal appeared in the late 1990s with as combination and Spanish and English lyrics, mixing American sounds with Mexican and other Latin American influences.
Quetzal's latest CD, Worksongs, continues the hybridization process by providing American rock, folk and blues melded with Mexican son jarocho, Afro-Cuban sounds, and much more. As the title suggests, the lyrics talk about the hard working people who helped build California.
The album was produced Produced by longtime Los Lobos saxophonist Steve Berlin. He saw the working relationship a perfect fit. “It's profound, there's not enough articulation about what’s going on in East LA [Los Angeles],” he says. “Worksongs is not just a record; they are the voice of the culture. We’ve [Los Lobos] carried the torch long enough, and I think Quetzal is the next to step up and speak for the community.”
[Buy Worksongs].
World Music Central
http://worldmusiccentral.org/article.php/20031217203157963