When I played in a Latin band
Back in the day, I was lucky enough to play music with some of the best rock and blues musicians in Sonoma County. The Schellville South Side Blues Band, Camp 1, and Sirius hit all the hot spots – Mama’s Royal Café, The Creamery, The Red Barn, Cotati Cabaret, Lion’s Share, Grinstead Amphitheater. Then career and family came along, so my musical activities were postponed for a mere 25 years until I heard cumbia.
Brothers from Salina Cruz, Oaxaca, who attended my adult ESL class, told me they used to have a band in Mexico. Promoter that I am, I asked, “Why don’t you start a band here and play for the students’ end of year party?”
Until then, my knowledge of Mexican music consisted of the polka style rancheras and the romantic ballads of Trio los Panchos that my grandparents had listened to, but Oaxaca is in southern Mexico, tropical Mexico. When the brothers began to play, I was so enticed by the infectious rhythm, that to the amusement of all my students, I jumped up on the stage to play shakers along with my new favorite song, “Loco Loco.”
The next day I searched Craig’s List for timbales, and soon I was attending their rehearsals and trying to overcome my lack of speed and coordination. We negotiated the language divide, a little bit of English, a lot of Spanish. I could not make my tongue move fast enough to sing lead in Spanish, but I could manage refrains and background. I also learned that the musical scale was not C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C. Latino musicians identified keys by Do-Re-Mi-Fa-So-La-Ti-Do. Good thing I had seen “The Sound of Music.”
Before I was anywhere near ready, we had a baptism reception gig for a Mexican family. We set up in the tiny, dirt backyard of a modest home, and soon men, women, and children in their finest attire jammed the dance area. It was a privilege to participate in this family’s joyous event. I had always felt hesitant to host parties at my home because our house badly needed a paint job, the roof was patched, and the patio furniture was old and mismatched. I learned that afternoon that I was depriving myself of a lot of good times because of my mistaken priorities.
Like all bands, this one had its egos and different goals, but by this time, my guitarist husband and I were hooked on Latin music. We eventually formed a larger group with musicians from Mexico City, Guerrero, Vera Cruz, and Michoacan, and together we composed original songs. Our bi-cultural group played clubs, pubs, wineries, festivals, fundraisers, and was well received by both Mexican and American audiences. One of the highlights I’ll never forget was playing in front of 2,000 celebrants for Mexican Independence Day in Sonoma Plaza.
Some of the band members have since returned to Mexico, and once again I am without a musical project. In retrospect, I am grateful to have been part of this cultural exchange because in a small way, I believe we had a positive impact on the local and international community. It gives me hope that music can help build a bridge instead of a wall.
