Event

Los Cenzontles

Straight from the heart of the East Bay, this young group of singers, musicians and dancers are the most exciting and refreshing sound to come along in both traditional and contemporary Mexican music. Cenzontle is the Nahuatl word for mockingbird, and like the mockingbird, Los Cenzontles sing, play and dance the music of many regions of Mexico.

Los Cenzontles celebrates the innovation and imagination of Mexican music, weaving together centuries-old musical traditions with the contemporary sounds of the world stage.

Under the direction of Grammy-nominated producer Eugene Rodriguez, this group of young musicians presents authentic and gutsy interpretations of traditional, vernacular and original music.

Los Cenzontles presents beautiful and emotional rancheras, Michoacan pirecuas, and sones jarochos (a type of traditional rural mariachi), as well as original compositions. The group performs with male and female vocalists and dancers and original instruments such a vihuela, jarana, guitarra de son, guitarron and tololoche.

From its beginnings over a decade ago as a youth program in San Pablo, California, Los Cenzontles has grown into what has been called "one of the [San Francisco] region's cultural treasures." In addition to releasing ten CDs, the group has worked with Los Lobos and Los Tigres del Norte, and has toured extensively throughout the US and Mexico.