Ruben Blades, Victor Jara, Hector Lavoe, The Budos Band, Patato y Totico, Gotan Project, Willie Colon, Fabuloso Cadillac, Los Van Van, Cachao, Cachaito, Ray Baretto, Ibrahim Ferrer, Fela Kuti, Antibalas, Manu Chao, Lee"scratch" Perry, Inti Illmani, the Upsetters, the Wailers, the Meters, the Wiggles, Ruben Gonzales, Paul Kelly, D'Angelo, the Congos, Ernesto Guevara, Salvador Allende.
Sounds Like
Fania All Stars play Victor Jara recorded by Lee "scratch" Perry in the future featuring D'Angelo and the Chilean Johnny Cash.
"Every once in a long while, a band comes that has the hybrid in music that brings people from all walks of life together. We will discover with San Lazaro that in the audience, lives blend with their music which celebrates life, and makes you move and dance."
Asdru Sierra, Ozomatli.
How does a band from Melbourne, Australia, come to sound like this? blending old school salsa, reggae and funk with Latinoamerican folk styles so effortlessly and convincingly? How did this continent of kangaroos and deserts produce such emotive and raw Spanish language songwriting? like some kind of bizarre lovechild of Reuben Blades and Victor Jara, or a latino incarnation of Johnny Cash backed by the Fania all stars...
“It’s all about Serindipity” according to San Lazaro’s lead singer/songwriter Franchesco “Keko” Viran.
This unlikely group of musicians came together in the musical melting pot of inner city Fitzroy. Migrants from Latin America and Australian musicians found themselves playing together, pumping out the classics of salsa and mambo to seething crowds week after week when at some point it just became it’s own thing. No longer a bunch of songs from across oceans and decades but real home grown Australian Latin music, reflecting the experiences and culture of yet another wave of migrants to wash up on this vast island.
San Lazaro bring the rhythms and forms of a musical style which was born in Africa and raised in the Americas to the streets and airwaves of Australia and the world, and anyone with ears and feet will immediately understand why.
Even if you don’t understand the lyrics, this music works. It works for the heart the soul and the hips, it works for the ears and the mind, it works for young and old, man and woman. It transcends all barriers of race creed and class.
For those of you who understand the words, you’ll immediately be drawn to the inimitable Keko. This man, always teetering between the deranged and the sublime, his rants and prophecies, his whispered promises and pleas. Backed by a beautifully harmonised three voice chorus, and supported by blazing horns and a rumbling and bubbling beast of a rhythm section, the musicianship and power of the huge band never distract from the songs, only enhance these universal tales of love and loss, injustice and rage, fate and redemption.
San Lazaro can be seen playing their own brand of horn and percussion heavy funky salsa around Melbourne, while they are in the studio putting together album number two, due for release in November and as yet untitled. For those who can’t wait, the first single “La Chimera” is available for download from www.myspace.com/boogalusanlazaro
TESTIMONIALS
“Melbourne is Lucky to have a band like San Lazaro”
Martin Perna, Antibalas.
“When I hear San Lazaro I become a dancing fool”
Paul Kelly.
“This is the best Latin album I have heard this year. It's killer.”
Felix Reibl, The Cat Empire.
“Billed as ‘the tightest Latin outfit to come from Australia so far’ San Lazaro certainly lived up to its reputation.”
Australian Stage
“A vibrancy and sense of adventure that far exceeds most outfits”
DB Magazine
“San Lazaro is a world-class Latin band. They play with considerable panache, and impressive enthusiasm and exuberance.”
Rhythms magazine.
(Swingo is..) "a tough, grooving piece of Afro-Latin funk from the debut album by Melbourne up and coming group San Lazaro"
Brent Clough, The Daily Planet. ABC Radio National
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
Port Fairy Folk Festival - 2009
Fest’Napuan, Port Vila, Vanuatu - 2008
Melbourne International Arts Festival - 2008
East Coast Blues and Roots Festival - 2008
Chill Island Festival - 2008
Melbourne International Jazz Festival - 2008
Woodford Folk Festival - 2007/08
Queenscliff Music Festival - 2007
Darling Harbour Fiesta - 2007
Bellingen Global Carnival - 2007
Live En Aout, Noumea, New Caledonia - 2007
WOMADelaide - 2007
Sitars n Bleeps - Melbournes first Eastern Electro and Dub festival! This Saturday 17th October at First Floor, 393 Brunswick St, Fitzroy. 9 PM!! Featuring Dub the Magic Dragon, Bulke, DJ Lord Lingham, DJ BP, with Visual Arts from Arnold Eye and Irons! It will be a call for racial harmony in the wake of recent violence towards Indian immigrants living in Australia! We will celebrate our cultural diversity and human likeness with performances from artists of a wide variety of racial and cultural backgrounds. One world, One people, One love!
The Album "This Is Afro-Cuban Funk" is available on gopalo.com, iTunes, eMusic, & other digital stores. Go to Facebook.com/gopalo to Become a PALO! Fan on Facebook Go to gopalo.com to Check Out the PALO! Website - Free music streaming, cool stuff, email list, and gig listings!<br /><br /> Go to Twitter.com/gopalo to Follow PALO! on Twitter
For those who plan to come to the rally today i have very important news...we will gather at fed sqare at 1pm sharp and will be there waiting to gather as many people and then we will march towards the State library were the rally will take place with music and speeches! Sorry for the late notice...its due to a very big Indian festival that will take place at fed square today!
saludos muxaxos... paso por aqui para avisarle a Oscar que los hermanos de Inani Ras ya tienen su my space... para que lo visiten... http://www.myspace.com/inaniras
Gracias por la Amistad - Thanks for the friendship. Un placer contar contigo - Nice to meet you . Salud - Bienestar - Inspiracion y Mucha Musica. Regards - Viele Grüße aus Elbenberg – Bendiciones. .......Never stop the beat....... Alvaro.
HOLA!!! Saludos Musicales, Visita mi myspace y podras escuchar un pequeno adelanto de mi proximo trabajo discografico YAOUNDE HI!!!!! Musical Greeting, visit my myspace and you will be able to listen a small preview of my upcoming release YAOUNDE. Mucha Paz, amor y musica Much Peace, Love and Music
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