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 List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
that plays a blend of
cumbia,
bossa nova,
and
boleros, among other styles.
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 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 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
cumbia,
Afro-Cuban,
bossa nova,
folk,
,
rock,
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 ...
,
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 m ...
.
Influential artists include
Janis Joplin,
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 ...
,
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 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, 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'' 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 games ...
Jorge Gutierrez. They also have a covered the classic song "Un Mundo Raro" by
José Alfredo Jiménez for the
Disney Pixar 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