Los Amigos Invisibles are anything but what they announced in the title of their 1995 debut, A Typical and Autoctonal Venezuelan Dance Band. The allusion was clearly meant to be tongue-in-cheek, and humor has been a running theme over the band’s 14-year career. First, there’s nothing typical about Amigos, a…
You already know we love Elastic Bond, don’t you? I mean, we compared them to the Fugees passed through a cafetera and spiked with psychedelics a few months back. We dubbed them Best Funky Fusion Band Even Your Mom Would Like in our 2007 Best Of Miami. What more do…
It is always tempting to announce for the good people of SoFla yet another opportunity to enjoy some quality cubaneo. But somehow, The Baboons music doesn’t quite fit that mold, the description lacking accuracy, any attempt at precision hopelessly devastated. Sure, the Afro-Cuban vibe is there, about as obvious as…
Jose Luis Perales is what you might call a living legend. The title seems fitting. Perhaps you don’t think you’re familiar with his work, but if you have parents from Spain or Latin America then rest assured you most certainly do. And if perhaps you yourself are a died-in-the-wool grownup…
The civil, social, and political unrest of the ’60s was not exclusive to American shores. While U.S. soil was damp with tears over Vietnam and the sweat of protesters fighting for basically everything, Brazilian soil was churning beneath a coup d’état. The turning gears of military machinations looked poised to…
Laura Pausini is considered by many to possess one of the most powerful female voices in all of Latin pop. And rightfully so. The Italian-born songstress, who’s sold more than 40 million copies worldwide, boasts a truly blessed set of pipes. Evidence? Her vocal work on such hit singles as…
Washington, D.C., is, of course, the nation’s capital, home to the U.S. government and the hub for power brokers from across the globe. So what better place for the home base of one of the most compelling underground acts of the past 15 years? That’s Thievery Corporation, and the duo was…
On The Monkey Village’s website, it says that if you ask 10 people to define the name, you’ll get 10 different answers. Not to worry, though. It goes on to give the assurance that all of them would be correct. Well, what about that one drunk jerk who would invariably…
Those thirsting for some smooth, dulcet jazz tones of the highest caliber need not look far in Miami. Thankfully, Miami has a fantastic local scene. And those thirsting for some libations can readily quench that thirst for strong drink at any of the local spots providing said jazz. Whether the…
Breakbeat, Latin, progressive house and folkloric deconstruction are but a few of the terms used to describe LA-based electro outfit, Palenke Soultribe’s music. I like folkloric deconstruction best. It’s a description that bears razor-fine precision. And it reminds me of Top Chef, minus the foams and emulsions. The trio is…
It’s been nearly 20 years since the Black Crowes dropped their debut album Shake Your Money Maker, which, though not exactly groundbreaking, kicked serious ass. Following its release, UK music mag Melody Maker dubbed the boys from Atlanta “The Most Rock ’n’ Roll Rock ’n’ Roll band in the World.”…
It’s rare I get to have fun with a name exuding such a tremendous degree of awesomeness as Bossacucanova. And yet here it is. Try it out for yourself; just rolls off the tongue, doesn’t it?But the Rio de Janeiro-based group has much more going for it than just a…
Who doesn’t love Los Fabulosos Cadillacs? There are perhaps a small handful of bands that can be credited with founding the Rock en Español movement. But none were more vital to its global spread than perhaps two bands in particular out of Argentina — Soda Stereo, fronted by the legendary…
Laura Pausini is considered by many to possess one of the most powerful female voices in all of Latin pop. And rightfully so. The Italian songstress, who’s sold over 40 million copies worldwide, boasts a truly blessed set of pipes, as evidenced by her vocal work on such hit singles…
It’s time for some cubaneo, party people. You know you’ve been wanting it. Well, we got some for you right here. And what better celebration of Cubiche culture than the music of the late, great Perez Prado? For the uninitiated, Prado is to this day considered the King of Mambo,…
In an age when all things retro are honored with a certain amount of street cred, a group from Peru called Novalima took kicking it old school to a whole new level. Delving into their country’s history and tracing back to the roots of the first slaves brought over in…
=”” height=”250″ width=”302″>We’ve for the most part stayed away from this topic over the course of the past several weeks. Meanwhile, fans of America TV across the city have watched pundits on every show in the lineup debating Juanes’ motives for going to perform in Cuba in the controversial concert…
You know here at Crossfade we like to give you guys plenty of locally relevant music news. Like cool goings on having to do with some of your favorite local acts, MP3s you can download for your own listening pleasure, the skinny on concerts in town and other fun stuff…
Los Enanitos Verdes (“The Little Green Dwarves”) are pretty much the grand daddies of alternative rock in their native Venezuela Argentina. They’ve been in the game a hell of a long time — 30 years, if you count the early days, before guitarist Sergio Embroni and keyboardist Tito Dávila signed…
Puerto Rican duo Wisin y Yandel are without question the most successful reggaeton artists in the history of the genre, outselling all the other heavyweights. Anyone remotely familiar with the genre will recognize their song “Rakata,” originally off the Mas Flow II compilation, then later released on their 2006 release, Pa’l…
Venezuelan jazz pianist/composer Silvano Monasterios is no stranger to accolades. It seems he’s been earning them since he began his professional music career at the young age of 18. In 1989, he received an award for “Best Soloist” in the Miami Jazz Festival. In ’91 he earned an “Outstanding Soloist”…
Songstress and Miami native Sol Ruiz seems to go by a lot of monikers–Neo Hippie Rain Maker of Cuban decent and flower child of Psychedelic Cuban Blues, just a few of them (though admittedly the most catchy). The later is probably the closest thing to pass for a description of…
