Los Cenzontles is a local and national treasure. The band, says the New York Times, “both honors and upends traditional Mexican music, tapping deep roots as it flowers into something completely new, and distinctly American.” The East Bay Express puts it this way: “The Bay Area's brilliant-hued musical aviary boasts dozens of rare and exceptional hybrid ensembles, but none have risen from humble origins to scintillating creative heights like Los Cenzontles. Steeped in various forms of Mexican roots music, the San Pablo-based band has expanded its stylistic territory from Vera Cruz and Michoacán to East LA and the East Bay, evolving into an invaluable exponent of Mexican-American culture.”

Los Cenzontles is not only a band, it’s part of an active arts organization, the Cultural Arts Academy, that teaches music, dance, art, and cultural appreciation to young people in the Richmond/San Pablo area and beyond. Since 1989, the band has been working with young people as well as recording and performing with a wealth of extraordinary musicians including Linda Ronstadt, Los Lobos, Jackson Browne, Ry Cooder, Taj Mahal, The Chieftains, and Flaco Jimenez. If you’ve never heard them before, you’re in for a treat!

Tonight Los Cenzontles (The Mockingbirds) celebrate the release of a new album, Alma Campirana (Country Soul), a collection of vintage Mexican songs in the country campirana style of the 1950s and 60s, featuring classic rancheras and corridos played on acoustic folk instruments like the jarana, vihuela, requinto, pandero, and quihada. The band features Fabiola Trujillo and Lucina Rodriguez on vocals, founder and director Eugene Rodriguez on guitar and vocals, Emiliano Rodriguez on bass, Juan Carreon on drums, and Silvestre Martinez on percussion.

visit the Los Cenzontles website