Since 2013, Los Angeleno quartet
La Santa Cecilia have cut a singular path through the weeds that separate Latin music from Anglo pop. They've covered everything from the
Beatles "Strawberry Fields Forever" to
Ramon Ayala's "Tragos de Amargo Licor." Their own songs can be exercises in pure pleasure or poignant anger. But
Amar y Vivir, their debut for producer
Sebastian Krys'
Rebelon Entertainment label, is unlike anything they've done before. It is an audio-visual album comprised almost exclusively of covers of classic songs -- old and new. It was recorded live to tape on the streets, in plazas, cantinas, and theaters in and around Mexico City.
While the music can be utterly enjoyed on its own, the visuals add context, history, depth, and mystery. The title is a mournful bolero composed by
Consuelo Velazquez (author of "Besame Mucho") performed almost straight with rockers
Comisario Pantera at an indie rock club. The interplay of an electric guitar's tremolo and
Pepe Carlos' requinto urge
La Marisol to dig deeper. "Odiame," recorded in a theater, is a classic ranchera featuring
Noel Schajris on piano and vocals, and offers a dazzling display of requinto playing by
Carlos. On "Comos Dios Manda," the band is supported by the great
Mariachi America orchestra. The throaty longing in
La Marisol's voice, contrasted with the sweetness in the instrumentation, is breathtaking. The bolero "Mar y Cielo" is striking for its symbolism: Performed in a plaza, it's one of first songs
La Marisol ever sang in public. Celebration reins when
La Santa Cecilia play the conjunto "Mexicano America" electrified -- in a diner -- with rockabilly act
the Rebel Cats. There is a deeply moving tribute to
Juan Gabriel as the band performs his oft-covered "Amor Eterno" at night in a plaza where mariachis usually play for tips. As this project unfolds, a story gets told:
La Santa Cecilia have their feet in two places: in the culture and history of both Mexico and the U.S. Past and present are inseparable; so are the countries on both sides of the border: Mexico is the indelible space where Latin America meets the Anglo world; it is only together that they are Norteamerica -- their histories, bloodlines, and cultures are now forever entwined. A cover of
Smokey Robinson's "You Really Got a Hold on Me," cut in the lobby of a hotel, binds tight that notion as proof that Yanqui R&B has influenced Mexican popular music. Chilean singer
Mon Laferte guests on a cover of
Cafe Tacvba's "Ingrata" from a rooftop; sung by two women, it turns the tables on the male gaze in romantic relationships. A burning read of
Violeta Parra's son jarocho classic "Volver a Los 17" rocks in a public street with
El Siquisiri before the record closes with
Jose Alfredo Jimenez's "En el Ultimo Trago" with diva
Eugenia Leon, the greatest living vocalist in Mexico. As duet partners, she and
La Marisol are almost staggering. The album concludes here, but this story doesn't end. With
Amar y Vivir,
La Santa Cecilia offer stunning aural and visual proof that a new chapter is being written every moment. ~ Thom Jurek
![Got Your Six [Clean Version]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0813985012728_p0_v2_s90x140.jpg "Got Your Six [Clean Version]")
![The Documentary 2/2.5 [Collector's Edition]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0099923542124_p0_v3_s90x140.jpg "The Documentary 2/2.5 [Collector's Edition]")
![Coco [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0050087374969_p0_v2_s90x140.jpg "Coco [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]")
![This is Me¿Now [Deluxe CD]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/4050538944433_p0_v3_s90x140.jpg "This is Me¿Now [Deluxe CD]")
