La Santa Cecilia is an American band based in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

that plays a blend of

cumbia Cumbia refers to a number of musical rhythms and folk dance traditions of Latin America, generally involving musical and cultural elements from American Indigenous peoples, enslaved Africans during colonial times, and Europeans. Examples include: ...

, bossa nova, and

boleros Bolero is a genre of song which originated in eastern Cuba in the late 19th century as part of the trova tradition. Unrelated to the older Spanish dance of the same name, bolero is characterized by sophisticated lyrics dealing with love. It has ...

, among other styles.

La Santa Cecilia La Santa Cecilia is an American band based in Los Angeles, California that plays a blend of cumbia, bossa nova, and boleros, among other styles. Saint Cecilia, La Santa Cecilia is the patron saint of musicians. The band seeks to represent a US b ...

is the patron saint of musicians. The band seeks to represent a US bicultural identity, both immersed in modern music but still close to their Latin American influences and Mexican heritage. For their full-length studio album, ''Treinta Días'', the group won a

Grammy Award for Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album The Grammy Award for Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album (until 2020: ''Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album'') is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, ...

in 2014. They were nominated in the same category for their album ''Buenaventura'' (Universal Music) in 2017 and for ''Y Vivir'' (Universal Music) in 2018. With 6 albums under their belt, La Santa Cecilia released their 7th album, self-titled ''La Santa Cecilia'', on October 18, 2019. Universal/Rebeleon. La Santa Cecilia have performed at just about every type of venue from rock clubs to festivals in the US and Mexico, including

Walt Disney Concert Hall The Walt Disney Concert Hall at 111 South Grand Avenue in downtown Los Angeles, California, is the fourth hall of the Los Angeles Music Center and was designed by Frank Gehry. It was opened on October 24, 2003. Bounded by Hope Street, Grand Ave ...

and the

Hollywood Bowl The Hollywood Bowl is an amphitheatre in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It was named one of the 10 best live music venues in America by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine in 2018. The Hollywood Bowl is known for its distin ...

in LA.

Influences

La Santa Cecilia's influence ranges from

Afro-Cuban Afro-Cubans or Black Cubans are Cubans of West African ancestry. The term ''Afro-Cuban'' can also refer to historical or cultural elements in Cuba thought to emanate from this community and the combining of native African and other cultural el ...

, bossa nova,

folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Folk Plus or Fol ...

mariachi Mariachi (, , ) is a genre of regional Mexican music that dates back to at least the 18th century, evolving over time in the countryside of various regions of western Mexico. The usual mariachi group today consists of as many as eight violins, t ...

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...

bolero Bolero is a genre of song which originated in eastern Cuba in the late 19th century as part of the trova tradition. Unrelated to the older Spanish dance of the same name, bolero is characterized by sophisticated lyrics dealing with love. It has ...

, rancheras, norteño and

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

. Influential artists include

Janis Joplin Janis Lyn Joplin (January 19, 1943 – October 4, 1970) was an American singer and musician. One of the most successful and widely known Rock music, rock stars of her era, she was noted for her powerful mezzo-soprano vocals and "electric" stage ...

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ci ...

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of music ...

, Mercedes Sosa, and Ramon Ayala.

Members

The members of the band include: *Marisol "La Marisoul" Hernandez: Lead Singer *Jose "Pepe" Carlos: Accordionist and Requinto *Miguel "Oso" Ramirez: Percussionist *Alex Bendaña: Bassist Additional Members: *Andres Torres: Drummer *Marco Sandoval: Guitarist

Discography

Studio albums

*'' Noche y Citas'' (2010) *''El Valor'' (2012) *''Treinta Días'' (2013) *''Someday New'' (2014) *''Buenaventura'' (2016) *''Amar y Vivir'' (2017) *''La Santa Cecilia'' (2019)

Videos and documentaries

The group's first video was for "La Negra". The band released a video for "Ice El Hielo," in collaboration with filmmaker

Alex Rivera Alex Rivera (born 1973, in New York City) is an American film maker, best known for his films about labor, immigration, and politics. Early life Rivera was born in 1973 in New York City, New York. His father is a Peruvian immigrant and his moth ...

and the

National Day Laborer Organizing Network The National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON) is an American organization whose mission aims at improving the lives of day laborers. This organization was founded in Northridge, California, in July 2001, and is based in Los Angeles, Califor ...

. It "portrays the problem of illegal immigration from the perspective of undocumented immigrants." La Santa Cecilia, in collaboration with the

Nature Conservancy The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is a global environmental organization headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. it works via affiliates or branches in 79 countries and territories, as well as across every state in the US. Founded in 1951, The Natu ...

, urge their fans to conserve water and other natural resources in a video that is part of the Conservancy's All Hands On Earth campaign.

Television and film

Television and film producers have used their music, such as on '' Weeds'' and '' The Bridge'' (1-8). They recorded the song "Tu Vida Es Un Escenario" for the award-winning film ''

Cantinflas Mario Fortino Alfonso Moreno Reyes (12 August 1911 – 20 April 1993), known by the stage name Cantinflas (), was a Mexican comedian, actor, and filmmaker. He is considered to have been the most widely-accomplished Mexican comedian and is cel ...

'' and collaborated with two-time Grammy winner

Gustavo Santaolalla Gustavo Alfredo Santaolalla (born 19 August 1951) is an Argentine musician, composer, and record producer. He is known for composing his film scores with his collaborator and acclaimed director Alejandro González Iñárritu, which composed the ...

on "The Apology Song" for the animated hit film '' The Book of Life'', directed by the well-known and famous Mexican

animator An animator is an artist who creates multiple images, known as frames, which give an illusion of movement called animation when displayed in rapid sequence. Animators can work in a variety of fields including film, television, and video gam ...

Jorge Gutierrez. They also have a covered the classic song "Un Mundo Raro" by

José Alfredo Jiménez José Alfredo Jiménez Sandoval (; 19 January 1926 – 23 November 1973) was a Mexican singer-songwriter of rancheras, whose songs are considered the basis of modern Mexican music. Biography Jiménez was born in Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajuato, M ...

for the

Disney Pixar Pixar Animation Studios (commonly known as Pixar () and stylized as P I X A R) is an American computer animation studio known for its critically and commercially successful computer animated feature films. It is based in Emeryville, Californi ...

Oscar Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

winning film Coco (2017 animated film) soundtrack.

References

Articles

*"La Santa Cecilia: 'We Are As American As Apple Pie And Tacos' – NPR – October 2019" – "https://www.npr.org/2019/10/12/769045615/la-santa-cecilia-we-are-as-american-as-apple-pie-and-tacos" *"La Santa Cecilia continues to foster melting pot of music genres, cultures" – ''Chicago Sun Times'' – Sept. 2019" -"https://chicago.suntimes.com/2019/9/19/20870780/la-santa-cecilia-concord-music-hall-chicago-melting-pot-of-music-genres-cultures" *"How La Santa Cecilia Turned Life's Tragedies Into Triumphant New Album – Billboard – Oct. 2019" - "https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/latin/8533658/la-santa-cecilia-self-titled-album-stream" *"La Santa Cecilia On Its New Album Sung In English" - Felix Contreras - OPB - Oct 2019" - "https://www.opb.org/artsandlife/article/npr-la-santa-cecilia-on-its-new-album-sung-in-english"

External links

La Santa Cecilia La Santa Cecilia (official website)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Santa Cecilia, La American Latin musical groups Grammy Award winners Musical groups from Los Angeles Spanish-language singers of the United States Universal Music Latin Entertainment artists