Jazz Puerto Rico Brings ¡Sabor! to Momo's

I went to Momo's on September 28, 2010, my usual Tuesday night hang out, to see what Bemba Entertainment had in store. The line up listed Jazz Puerto Rico, Cerronato and Bubba Hernandez y Los Super Vatos. Now I'm real familiar with Cerronato and Bubba Hernandez, they are a couple of most my favorite bands that I always enjoy seeing. Jazz Puerto Rico ,though, peaked my interest. I had never heard of the band and really didn't know what type of music they played. Well, it turns out that Jazz Puerto Rico plays Salsa, Cha Cha and Merengue. I've heard and seen several "Salsa" bands and some are good and some are so-so. Jazz Puerto Rico is really good. I was totally impress with their music and musicianship. I liked their sound, the variety of music and they were tight or seamless. When it comes to bands, I like a band with a brass section. The Jazz Puerto Rico section had three trombones and a baritone sax. This band could hold their own in any Salsa club anywhere. The only thing that concerned me about Jazz Puerto Rico was that they are not an active participant in social media. There's just no information on the web. I guess my blog and YouTube videos may be a beginning? Jazz Puerto Rico is a great band and definitely deserves to be seen and heard.

Check out a sample of their performance:

Austin Vida's "Mi Gente" Salsa Happy Hour at The Parish in October

Austin Vida is teaming up with The Parish, a 6th Street hot spot, to bring "Mi Gente" a Tueday night Salsa Happy Hour in October. The Salsa Happy Hour starts at 6:00 PM with music, dancing and a $3.50 Mojito drink special and ends at 9:00 PM.

Now, a happy hour is a happy hour is a happy! To make this happy hour a "Salsa Happy Hour," who else than DJ Orion, in conjunction with Fania Records could truly make it happen. DJ Orion, one of the members of Peligrosa All-Stars DJ's, spins tunes from an extensive list of Fania Records artists and others. This happy hour highlighted the late great Tito Puente. Fania Records is celebrating their release of Tito Puente two-disk anthology, El Rey. You know, El Rey is a must for all true Salseros, Latin music lovers and of course, DJ's.

I attended this happy hour and had a great time. I like The Parish, the ambiance and sound system is exceptional, the crowd was intimate and the music was made for dancing.

The next "Mi Gente" Salsa Happy Hour will be on October 19 at The Parish, located at 214-c E 6th Street from 6:00-9:00 PM. Ages 21 and up.

Here's DJ Orion in action;



Here's a sample of the Fania Records El Rey:

El Tule and Radio la Chusma at Flamingo Cantina

Two great bands with two different sounds this Friday at Flamingo Cantina. First, Austin's favorite, El Tule specializes in Cumbia, Salsa and Merengue that lifts the spirit and moves the soul. El Tule has been very busy this summer with numerous performances throughout Central Texas and Austin. Second, Radio La Chusma, an El Paso, Texas band, "Representing the beauty and complexity of the border culture, the reggae, cumbia/rock....uplifting the people with their message and hard hitting rhymes."

I've seen both bands perform individually. I recently caught El Tule in San Antonio's Main Plaza and saw Radio la Chusma last September in San Antonio's Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center for Una Noche de Gloria: Barrio Massive En El Mero Hueso. Friday night should be "Una Noche de Gloria" as well with both bands a Flamingo Cantina in Austin, Texas.

Venue: Flamingo Cantina on 515 East 6th Street in downtown Austin, Texas

Date: July 30, 2010
Time: Doors open at 9:00 PM

Line-up: El Tule and Radio la Chusma

Cost: $5.00 21+

El Tule: "Working Man's Cumbia"

El Tule has a song off their El Tule Volumen II CD titled "Working Man's Cumbia" that could have been written for the band. They are always working somewhere every week, it seems. I've been following El Tule for a couple of years and I would give them the title of "Hardest Working Band in Austin" and possibly the world? They also have two CDs, corresponding videos and working on new projects. If you check their Upcoming Shows on their Myspace page, you'll see they're booked until October. So if you need a band, El Tule's schedule is getting full fast so reserve your date now.

I like El Tule because they have a good variety of music which includes Salsa, Merengue, Cumbia and Latin. They have a strong solid sound. I especially like how they put their heart and soul into their music and performances. When you see them perform you'll know what I mean.

Recently I traveled to San Antonio's Main Plaza to see El Tule perform. I invited familia to come see El Tule because I had told them all how great they were. You know Mexican families are big, with brothers, sisters, Mom, Dad, tios, tias, primos, primas and abuelos and abuelitas and as George Lopez would say "all in one car." We had a blast! If you haven't seen El Tule, they're coming to a venue or city near you.

The Event of the Summer Just Happened at Momo's

Last night the event of the summer took place at Momo's. Three spectacular bands created a night of party, fun and magic. They were the two time Grammy Award winner, Bubba Hernandez, and his band Los Super Vatos, Grammy nominated Tortilla Factory and up and coming, Huerta Culture. Momo's was packed, people were dancing, enjoying the warm summer night and socializing on the outdoor deck. Bemba Entertainment again put together a collection of great and diverse bands for an exceptional showcase. I recommend that you check out World Music Night sponsored by KUT90.5fm/kut.org every Tuesday night at Momo's to get a taste of Bemba's work.

The bands provided a variety of entertainment and diverse mix of music. Bubba opened the showcase with Cumbia, Rock, Latin and Polka plus humorous interaction with the audience. Tortilla Factory continued the legend with their specialized mix of Salsa, Merengue, Funk and Latin and an impressive stage presence. Lastly, Huerta Culture closed the show with the exceptional combination of Columbian Cumbia, Folk and Root music. I do have to say that this is the first time that I've seen Huerta Culture as a fully formed band and also have to say that I was very impressed. Huerta Culture's distinct sound and music draws you in and takes you on a "cultural" trip.

Here's a sample of last nights event:

Grupo Fantasma Album Release Parties

Grupo Fantasma is releasing their new CD "El Existential" with two parties at Antone's. I've heard the CD and it will definitely take two days to celebrate the release of great new music.


Event: Grupo Fantasma Album Release Parties

Musical Line-Up:

Friday - Charanga Cakewalk and Grupo Fantasma
Saturday - Maneja Beto and Grupo Fantasma

Location: Antone's on 213 W. 5th Street in Austin, Texas

Date: Friday May 7, 2010 and Saturday May 8, 2010

Times: Doors Open at 9:00 PM

Cost: $15 per person per show

Tickets: Frontgate Tickets for Friday's show, Tickets for Saturday's show

I've listened to "El Existential" and without a doubt this CD is more than exceptional. It contains hard hitting Cumbias and Salsa. The Cumbia that will get you moving is "La Conozco," I will re-play this song two to three times because the high energy beat and rhythm just won't let you go. "Montañozo" is my next favorite with an upbeat tempo and I like the sound of the 60/70's sounding organ typical to that era. As for Salsa, I especially like "Juan Tenorio" because of "EL Judio Maravilloso" Larry Harlow's influence. He has a special sound and feel in his music. The sound is smooth and velvety and the beat is not too fast or too slow. All the songs on this album are great, I think you'll like them all but you'll also have your favorites. One of the things that impressed be about this album is how it was made. I spoke to some of the guys at Momo's recently after performing in side project, Money Chicha and it turns out the band just got together and started recording the music. The formalities of making an album were put aside and the magic was unleashed. I believe had Grupo followed the usual recording protocol, the end product would be much different and not as free flowing and artistic.



The songs on "El Existential" are:

1. Realizando
2. La Conozco
3. Sacatelo Bailando
4. El Consejo
5. Hijo
6. Juan Tenorio (Featuring Larry Harlow)
7. Montañozo
8. Calor
9. 25
10. Reconciliar
11. Telaraña (Featuring Curt Kirkwood)
12. Cumbianchera
13. Araña Cuña

The album will be available on Grupo Fantasma's website on Tuesday, May 11th and available in stores nationally and on Itunes on May 15.

Austin Vida Showcase at Ruta Maya

If Manny Go Crazy were to put together a showcase, I would have picked the exact same bands. These four bands are on my "Top Favorite List" of Austin bands. I have seen these bands multiple times and look forward to seeing them again and again.

Event: Austin Vida showcase and La Guerrilla CD Release Show

Date: April 1, 2010

Location: Ruta Maya on 3601 S. Congress Ave. Austin, Texas

Musical Line Up and Times: El Tule @ 9 PM, Este Vato @ 10:15 PM, La Guerrilla @ 11:30 PM , and Headliner - Maneja Beto @ 12:30 AM

Cost: $5 for 21+ and $7 for Minors

Drink Special: Miller High Life $2; Harp, Red Stripe and Dos XX for $3

"Maneja Beto is an extremely popular Austin, Texas band. Their music is not easy to describe because it has elements of Mexican Cumbia, pop, rock, folk, "indie-en-Español" and some fusion, all blended into a mellow, upbeat, lounge and Latin sound" (Source: Rock y Roll Radio Blog). If you're familiar with Maneja then I'm sure I'll see you at Ruta Maya. On the other hand, if you've never seen Maneja Beto, here's a "don't miss" opportunity to also become a new fan of the best indie in Espanol band in Austin.



La Guerrilla is a band with a lot of charisma and energy. Their music is upbeat, happy and makes you want to dance. La Guerrilla combines Reggae, Ska and World Music influences and occasionally includes theatrics to enhance La Guerrilla experience. This show will be La Guerrilla's official CD release show. Come and check out La Guerrilla , you''ll love them and then you'll buy their CD to continue the party anytime, anywhere you want.



Este Vato is a band that I have followed since their debut at Flamingo Cantina in October 2008 and have seen them progress extremely well musically and in establishing the Este Vato name. They are a band that combines Rock, Cumbia, Latin, Fusion and recently Funk. Their songs convey a message of pride in heritage, the struggles of our fore fathers and families and the power that we have collectively. Although the subject matter is on the serious side, the music still rocks. Este Vato just released their new CD as well. Come see them perform and also get their CD.



El Tule is also a very popular and a well established band in Austin. "Musically the band projects the Latin soul that Cumbias, Salsa and Merengues were meant to have." (Source: Rock y Roll Radio Blog). They bring the party to any event or venue where they perform and you see their name everywhere. El Tule also released their second CD in November 2009 and you should also purchase their Volumen II to complete your music library.



This showcase is one you shouldn't miss. It offers four of the best Latin bands in Austin and regionally that have a broad appeal. This showcase is the event of the year and may not occur again anytime soon because getting four extremely popular bands together at one time is very difficult. Hope to see you there, I know I will.

Tortilla Factory: The Legend Continues

Tortilla Factory performed at Momo's World Music KUT 90.5 presented by Bemba Entertainment on Tuesday night in Austin, Texas and it was history in the making. I remember the name Tortilla Factory back in the early 70's and hearing them on the radio. They played primarily Texas "Chicano Music" and they filled dance halls throughout Texas and beyond. They were one of the premier dance bands out of Texas along with Little Joe and The Latinaires, Sunny and the Sunliners, the Royal Jesters and the Latin Breed, just to name a few. The Tortilla Factory originated in 1973 and here they are 2010 and still making music.

I had lost track of the Tortilla Factory for several years but was happy to see the band resurface last year with a Grammy nominated CD, "Tortilla Factory and All That Jazz." When I heard that they were going to play at Momo's, I knew I had to go see them. I really didn't know what to expect because I still had visions of the 70's Chicano Music and knew that they had incorporated Salsa into their music. When the Tortilla Factory took the stage, Wow!, they had a complete orchestra of 12 musicians and a commanding stage presence. The five piece horn section, for me, was the focal point and I couldn't wait to hear them. The band's founder, Tony "Ham" Guerrero, was present off stage although the band was under the direction of his son, Alfredo Antonio Guerrero, and his daughter, Laura Lynne Guerrero. Alfredo and Luara were also the lead vocals for all the songs.

The first song was a funky, bluesy song which reminded me of The Tower of Power, which I've seen perform. I was blown away by the beat and the strong, solid brass section and exceptional musical arrangements. Tortilla Factory also mixed in some Salsa music plus used rappers to give a couple 0f their songs an urban appeal. I saw the band perform from 8:00 PM to 12:oo AM and was surprised that the band didn't play any Chicano or Tejano music, mainly because that's where it all started.

Overall it was a fantastic night and I was very glad to see a new and updated Tortilla Factory. They are in fact a legend and have created some fantastic music and history since 1973 . For many reasons, I saw this performance as a debut of the "New Generation" Tortilla Factory. First, I never imagined Tortilla Factory at Momo's. I envisioned them at a huge ballroom or at the Palmer Event Center playing to a large crowd. Momo's is a great venue but does not have the capacity of a dance hall. You play at Momo's to expose yourself to a new audience or possibly crossover. Second, Alfredo and Luara at the helm of the band. With Ham's health a concern, I've read that Ham has given his son and daughters control and direction of the band. Third, I didn't hear the band play any Chicano or Tejano music. They played modern funky, hip, urban music for a younger audience and Salsa music for the broader, mature Latin audience. In order to continue the legend, Tortilla Factory has to appeal to a younger, more hip audience who listens to hip hop, reggaeton and rap. This audience does not listen to Tejano music and the evidence is on MTV, Mun2 and MTV3. Salsa music has broad appeal to both young and old and a large cross section of people. It doesn't mean you have to abandon Tejano music but inorder to continue the legend you have to evolve or re-invent yourself to appeal to the current audience or market. Lastly, Tortilla Factory hired a publicist, Dean Lofton. You hire a publicist to put your name out there to the public who does not know your name.

You need to see Tortilla Factory perform. You will definitely like what you hear and you'll ask yourself "Why haven't I heard this band before?"




You can see Tortilla Factory perform at:
El Sol Y La Luna on March 18, 2010 Austin, Texas
Pachanga Latino Music Festival on May 22, 2010 at Fiesta Gardens Austin, Texas