Mezcla
Cuban Roots Fusion Ensemble
www.cubamezcla.org

Direct from Havana, Cuba, MEZCLA has been playing for audiences around the world since 1985. MEZCLA brings a rich mezcolanza embodying the mestizaje of Cuba's diverse African, Spanish and Caribbean origins. Its a mulatto sound, a dynamic hybrid of funky Afro-Cuban rhythms with jammin' jazz, rankin' reggae, rockin' son and lyrics that tell it like it is. An innovative mix of the traditional with the modern and the local with a whole world of music. MEZCLA is proud to present its members:

Pablo Menéndez
Director, Guitars, Vocals

Angel Luis Badell
Lead Vocals, Percussion

Octavio Rodríguez
Congas, Batá Drums, Percussion

Lilia "Bellita" Expósito
Keyboards

Amed Torrecilla
Saxophones, Flute

Miguel Miranda
Trap drums

José Ermidas
Bass

Some venues played:

INTERNATIONAL YOUTH FESTIVAL
La Habana, Cuba

WEMILERE, Afro-Cuban Folk Festival
Guanabacoa, Cuba

CARIBBEAN ARTS FESTIVAL: Fiesta del Fuego
Santiago de Cuba

JAZZ PLAZA
La Habana, Cuba

ONE WORLD MUSIC FESTIVAL
Köln

HAFENFEST
Hamburg

MARRIANNENSPLATZ FESTIVAL OF WORLD MUSIC,
Berlin

Some of their tunes:

Tropi-Collage: Afro-Cuban-Trova-Jazz. Batá drums, jazz keyboard and R&B horn lines; Mezcla's original arrangement of Carlos Varela's song gives a critical perspective on Cuba's tourist industry.

Río Quibú: Eco-Salsa. "An angry story of class, shanties, and pollution" - On the Cuban Top Ten charts for over a year!

Hijos de la Mezcla: Guiro-Rock. An innovative instrumental blend of batá drums and electric guitar.

Mujeres de Arena: R&B-Rap about the impact of the dollar economy on dating in Cuba. Stevie Wonder in Spanish!

Cuando Se Vaya la Luz, Mi Negra: Blues in Spanish. The infamous Cuban blackouts generate creative ways of dealing with the darkness!

Somos Tú y Yo: Rock ballad en español. Recorded version features guest artist Dr. Loco on Sax.

Dicen Que: Cuban Reggae challenging racial stereotypes and confronting racism. Invites everyone to dance.

Guaguancó pa' Todos los Barrios: A traditional Afro-Cuban rumba featuring Octavio Rodríguez on congas and vocals.

CANTOS: LAZARO ROS con MEZCLA
(Intuition Records)

Hot, danceable arrangements of sacred Santería chants blended with reggae, Afro-pop and salsa. Features master akpuón, Lázaro Ros, one of Cuba's foremost singers of Afro-Cuban Yoruba hymns.

The nine-page booklet explains the Yoruba tradition in Cuba and translates the chants into English.

FRONTERAS DE SUENOS
(Intuition Records)

A dream of a world without borders... A broad range of moods deeply rooted in Afro Cuban rhythms and jammin' to a pan-Caribbean beat. The topical lyrics reflect a fresh, more critical trend in the Cuban Nueva Trova tradition.

Includes hits La Guagua, Río Quibú, and La Mulata de Caramelo.

SOMOS HIJOS DE LA MEZCLA
(EGREM)

Includes hits such as Nacimos del Fuego and Aquí Cualquiera Tiene which became virtual anthems for Cuban youth in the late 1980s. Keeps 'um rockin' and thinkin'!

Mezcla also appears on several compilations including:

Cuba Classics 3: Diablo al Infierno
(Warner Bros, Luaka Bop, 1995)

Selección de Éxitos: Nueva Trova Cubana
(Spartacus Discos, 1995)

Comments

"To me, MEZCLA is the cleanest, freshest water I have ever tasted. ...looking forward to playing with them... " (Carlos Santana)

"ROCKING HAVANA with a contemporary mix that defies borders, MEZCLA is the FUTURE of CUBAN POP... There's a train a comin' and its whistling M-E-Z-C-L-A." (Jesse "Chuy" Varela, Pacifica Radio)

"MEZCLA'S music digs deep into our CUBAN ROOTS. Its very existence is based on the FERTILE and CREATIVE premise of reflecting the ESSENCE of our MULATTO CULTURE." - Noel Nicola

MEZCLA'S CDs

"Ancestral YORUBA HYMNS, the fascinating touch of the BATÁ DRUMS, the eternal voice of Lázaro Ros - a successful combination of jazz and rock" (Latin Beat)

"...LIVELY DANCE PIECES turn out to be an attack on the transport system or praise for AFRO-CUBAN RELIGION... and there's a fine, PASSIONATE piano ballad too" (The Guardian, UK).

"...the integration of the most UP-TO-DATE currents with the richest national ROOTS" (La Demijagua, Cuba)