La Santa Cecilia with special guest Pistolera

La Santa Cecilia exemplifies the modern-day creative hybrid. In an era and city in which Latin culture has given birth to many musical fusions, The Los Angeles based six-member band creatively combines up-tempo South American rhythms like Cumbia and Bossa Nova with the nostalgic Bolero and passionate Tango, blending in Afro-Cuban percussion, Rock with Jazzy tunes to bring about a mix that defies any particular label or musical genre. The band’s sound is accentuated by singer Marisoul’s haunting voice, which delivers its message of love, loss and heartbreak in a strong, sensual and powerful performance that leaves crowds mesmerized and women justified in La Santa’s colorful and fiesta-like live shows.

Critically acclaimed New York band Pistolera has toured its accordion-driven dance songs in six different countries since its debut in 2005. Fans around the world are dancing cumbias to the group’s socially conscious songs–en español–about immigrants’ rights, war, racism, feminism, and life on the border. The band has shared the stage with Los Lobos, Lila Downs, Ely Guerra, Vieux Farka Toure, has graced the stage of Town Hall in New York City, Massey Hall in Canada, Teatro Circo in Portugal, and has performed at high profiles festivals such as The Montreal Jazz Festival (Canada), Ollin Kan (Mexico), Central Park Summerstage (USA), and Sfinks (Belgium). Pistolera released their third album, El Desierto Y La Ciudad, on July 12, 2011. NPR called it, “modern…daring…inventive..”.