Global Rhythms: Quetzal: East L.A. Chican@ Rock
Schedule
Sat Oct 02 2021 at 07:30 pm
Location
Town Hall Seattle | Seattle, WA
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QUETZAL is a relentlessly innovative Grammy award winning ensemble that narrates the social, cultural, political, and musical stories ofhumanity.Dr. Martha Gonzalez (lead singer, percussionist, and songwriter) calls it an “East LA Chican@ Rock group,” summing up its rootedness in the complex cultural currents of life in the barrio, its social activism, its strong feminist stance, and its Rock & Roll and Mexican traditional musical beginnings.The band’s live shows are filled with moments of tenderness, fervor and storytelling that transports the audience into themselves and each other. From lush ballads to barn burning Jarocho Rock songs with unstoppable zapateado(foot stomping) Quetzal has graced stages around the world for nearly three decades.The group Quetzal emerged out of a particularly contentious time generated by events such as the1992 Los Angeles uprising, the1994 Proposition 187 campaign (to deny medical and public services to undocumented immigrants and public education to undocumented children),and the repercussive reach of theZapatista insurrectionin Mexico.These events spurred a powerful synergy, in which avenues of expressive culture such as music and public art emerged as platforms from which to voice marginalized people’s desires, opinions, and resistance to the conditions in which they found themselves.Today, the proactive strategy of Quetzal and other Artivists is to be regenerative and resourceful in the face of societal problems that are affecting the communities in which these artists are living.As a prominent force in this East L.A. creative culture scape, Quetzal vividly portrays how music, culture, and sociopolitical ideology come together in a specific place. For members of Quetzal, music is a resource that lives at the essence of community cultural vitality and transformation.
Besides being a rock band, the group and its members participate in a much larger web of musical, cultural, and political engagement. Their latest recording titled “Puentes Sonoros” released in the Spring of 2021 on Smithsonian Folkwaysis a collection of original songs inspired by the bands travels to Veracruz Mexico to connect and reconnect to multiple protagonists from the Fandango Movementfrom which the band has drawn tremendous influence.
http://www.quetzalflores.com/
https://www.facebook.com/quetzalmusic
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Where is it happening?
Town Hall Seattle, Seattle, United StatesEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
