presents
LAS CAFETERAS
A uniquely Angeleno blend of punk, hip-hop, beat music, cumbia and rock
“I left not sure what I had just experienced. A concert? A square dance? A political rally? A community meeting? A ballet? A trip back to 1961 with Rosie and the Originals? A fiesta? All of the above? I also walked out asking two questions: Why doesn’t Las Cafeteras have a Grammy, and when do you play at the White House?” – Music Fridays
Children’s Program
Children’s programs begin at 6:00, last 30-40 minutes, and are free to children under 12 and their parents or other caregivers. Unless otherwise noted, they take place at the same location as the concert. Seating is first come, first served.
Please note: children must be accompanied by parents or other adults at all times as we do not have the staff or legal clearences to supervise unaccompanied children.
Biography
Las Cafeteras create a vibrant musical fusion with a unique East LA sound and a community-focused political message. Their Afro-Mexican rhythms, zapateado and inspiring lyrics tell stories of a community who is looking for love and fighting for justice in the concrete jungle of Los Angeles.
Las Cafeteras formed as a band in 2008 with the purpose of documenting the histories of their neighborhoods through music. As musicians, they started as students of the Eastside Café, a Zapatista inspired community space in East Los Angeles where they were influenced by the culture, storytelling, and poetic music of Son Jarocho, a traditional music from Veracruz, Mexico. To traditional Son Jarocho sounds, they add Afro-Caribbean marimbol and cajón, poetry in English and Spanglish, and instruments like jarana, requinto, a donkey jawbone and a wooden platform called the Tarima.
Their namesake derives from the organization where they took classes, the Eastside Café. However, to honor women and challenge masculine language, they feminized their group name by calling themselves, Las Cafeteras, rather than Los Cafeteros.
Las Cafeteras have taken the music scene by storm with their infectious live performances and have crossed-genre and musical borders, playing with bands such as Mexican icons Caifanes, Lila Downs, Colombian superstar Juanes, Los Angeles legends Ozomatli, folk/indie favorites Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, and most recently with Talib Kweli.
Tickets are priced at various levels in order to make this as affordable for you as possible. Please click HERE for ticketing and more info!