POCHO faves La Santa Cecilia (Marisoul on vocals) team up with Mexican rockabilly band Rebel Cats on a new, live version of Soy Mexican-Americano. The video was shot at Be Bops, a 1950s-style American diner in Mexico City. If there was a washboard in addition to the cajon, we’d call this zydeco.
Here’s Los Cenzontles’ version of the song, which is on heavy rotation at POCHO World Headquarters in East Los:
Mas…La Santa Cecilia y Rebel Cats: ‘Soy Mexico-Americano’ (video y lyrics)
Two of our favorite pochos — Cheech Marin and La Marisoul Hernandez of La Santa Cecilia — sat down for a talk last month at the Los Angeles Public Library.
La Marisoul and La Santa Cecilia rock their new single I Won’t Cry for You on Conan.
PREVIOUSLY ON LA SANTA CECILIA:
Mas…La Santa Cecilia: “I Won’t Cry for You” live on Conan (video)
David Crosby of CSN is in there, David Hidalgo of Los Lobos is in there, La Marisoul is in there, Bill Kreutzmann of the Grateful Dead is in there along with a cast of hundreds from around the world in the Playing for Change version of the Dead anthemic Ripple.
Mas…David Crosby, David Hidalgo, La Marisoul: The Dead’s ‘Ripple’ (video)
Grammy winnners La Santa Cecilia recorded this live performance of Elvis Costello’s Losing Game for KCRW radio last week and Marisoul’s smokey vocal and evocative accordion made for musical magic.
PREVIOUSLY ON LA SANTA CECILIA:
Mas…La Santa Cecilia: It’s a ‘Losing Game’ (performance video)
You know how it works, with the tracks and the headphones and the mics and the overdubs and the mashup. This project started in East Los with Los Lobos via Playing For Change, a movement created to inspire and connect the world through music. ¡Mira La Bamba! How many of these musicians do you know? HINT: Does La Santa Cecilia ring a bell?
Beatle John Lennon’s song about playing in the Salvation Army’s Strawberry Fields children’s home near his casa in Liverpool becomes an animated allegory about who picks the juicy red fruits and the crop’s journey from farm to table table to farm as East Los homies La Santa Cecilia transform Strawberry Fields Forever.
PREVIOUSLY ON LA SANTA CECILIA:
Mas…La Santa Cecilia picks Beatlefruit in ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ (video)
Coming from the East Coast and all, the National Public Radio Alt.Latino peeps needed to come here to get the real California deal on Cinco de Mayo. They called on two local treasures: Gustavo Arellano, editor of OCWeekly.com, and East Los rockers La Santa Cecilia:
This week we bring ourselves to that most bicultural of holidays — Cinco de Mayo. As we discuss in the show, there is a question about whether or not this is just another opportunity for happy hour specials or store-wide sales: “Get your new bed during our Mexican Mattresstravaganza!!!”
We invited writer Gustavo Arellano to help us shed some light on the issue. He has tackled this theme before in his syndicated column Ask A Mexican.
Here on the East Coast, the Cinco de Mayo experience is different from what it is in California. It feels much less connected to themes of cultural pride and more like an excuse to drink margaritas.
Mas…NPR Cinco de Mayo show taps Gustavo Arellano, La Santa Cecilia
Gloria Jones recorded Tainted Love first in 1965. There there was Soft Cell in 1981. Marilyn Manson covered the tune in 2001. And now comes this brand-new version from locals La Santa Cecilia,featuring the soulful vocals of La Marisoul, who sings like a boss.