"Fandango with Los Cambalache" is a show about sharing, teaching, learning and building a community together through participatory practices in music, dance, verse and in the art of “being together.” In this community celebration, full participation of everyone present is encouraged as the most important element of a fandango is not how well someone plays their instrument, but that everyone is included.
Music Center On Tour
LISTEN on
Bio
Los Cambalache (from a Spanish word that means exchange) is a group of musicians from East L.A. who play son jarocho music from Veracruz, Mexico. Popular on the Gulf Coast, son jarocho hails from a cultural region shaped by indigenous and African cultures, as well as Spanish. Cambalache promotes traditional Son Jarocho music that draws the audience in to participate in their performances in the spirit of the fandango, a traditional celebration based on music and dance.
In 2001, Cesar Castro began working with chicanos in Los Angeles through a binational Exchange, Fandango Sin Fronteras that forged relationships cultivated through music, focused on building community and awareness through social gatherings, el fandango and participatory performance. In 2003 he moved to LA to teach Son Jarocho and during this time he also formed Quetzal, one of LA’s cornerstone, chicano bands.
Xochi Flores began studying son jarocho with Quetzal Flores and Russell Rodríguez in 2003 and has continued her studies with César Catro and by traveling to Veracruz whenever possible and with Cesar Castro. She formed part of the first Encuentro of Chicano/as and Jarochos in Xalapa, Veracruz. Since then, Xochi has been instrumental in the Exchange through her work writing grants to bring artists and community workers to the US, as well as hosting and participating in groups such as Candela (all female son jarocho group from LA) and Las No que No (all female son jarocho group in Highland Park). She has collaborated on performances, recordings, group presentations, fundraising and workshops with groups such as Quetzal, Ozomatli, Son del Centro, Son de Madera and with Laura Rebolloso.
Born and raised in East LA, Chuy Sandoval’s early musical background was formed in playing punk rock. He has been an active church musician in the greater Los Angeles area for over ten years and has had the opportunity to work with several OCP (Oregon Catholic Press) artists and composers. Chuy holds a Bachelor of Music in classical guitar performance from CSULA. Chuy was introduced to the traditional form or son jarocho in 2007 and has been a serious and active student of the genre ever since.
Juan Perez, on the upright bass, has performed and recorded with one of the most renowned jarocho bands from Veracruz Son de Madera for seven years, and has played with Quetzal for 10 years. Juan is widely recognized as the “go to” chicano bass player for all chicano- jarocho recordings, performances and for his overall knowledge of the genre.
Meet the band
Years of playing together makes our music cohesive and fun. We are a life-long students of the music and are honored to share Son Jarocho with our audiences, wheather they are kids at school performances or larger audiences at concerts. We love to eat good food, joke around and travel. We love our family and community and we're proud of our roots.
_edited.jpg)
