A nonprofit cultural arts academy, a band, a production studio, and a community space for youth and families, working together to amplify our Mexican roots here in the Bay Area and beyond.
Education
Considered a second home for generations of local families, Los Cenzontles Academy invites children to learn music, dance, folk arts and crafts and to play an essential role in maintaining living traditions.
The Band
Composed of Academy alumni, Los Cenzontles digs deep into our rich Mexican American roots and our many cultural connections to the world, promoting dignity, pride, and understanding.
Production
As first, second, and third generation immigrants and working-class people, with multi-racial and multi-ethnic backgrounds, we share our stories through film and video productions.
On Wednesday, October 1st, click the image to the left to listen to our new single Somos Semillas.
Written by longtime Los Cenzontles member Verenice Velázquez and performed by our cross-generational family, including a moving recitation by Raúl (15), Somos Semillas pulses with the energy of son jarocho and corrido tumbado, giving voice to a new generation rooted in ancestral wisdom.
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On Wednesday, October 8th, the image to the left and enjoy Soy Libre. Gentle and heartfelt, “Soy Libre” is Los Cenzontles’ Spanish interpretation of Keith Carradine’s beloved “I’m Easy,” 1975’s Academy Award winning song from Robert Altman’s film Nashville. With Eugene Rodríguez on vocals and a laid-back Latin groove, the song celebrates freedom with tenderness and serenity.
This week we share “Walls and Doors,” our take on the classic by Cuban songwriter Carlos Varela (later translated into English by Jackson Browne).
With lyrics that speak to the struggle between division and connection, “Walls and Doors” carries a message that feels especially timely—and deeply aligned with the values Los Cenzontles has long embodied.
Sung in English and Spanish by Eugene Rodríguez and Fabiola Trujillo, featuring our young musicians Cruz Torres (19), Camila Ortega (19), Natalie Caldera (16), and Silvestre Martínez on drums.
“Whistle Down the Wind” by Tom Waits is a song of fear, courage, and renewal.
It was Linda Ronstadt who first suggested that Eugene Rodríguez sing it. When he brought it to the band — made up mostly of our teen musicians — they naturally fell into a Mexican son 6/8 rhythm. As Eugene says: “Mexicans dance to tragic lyrics all the time.”
Featuring Cruz Torres (19) on accordion, Natalie Caldera (16) on bass, and Camila Ortega (19) on guitar.
La Llorona, as interpreted and performed by Fabiola Trujillo, will touch you with the sorrow of lost love, and yet offer solace with its timeless beauty.
La Llorona is a timeless classic from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec that, for generations, has been a refuge for those who love beyond life itself.
This release includes a very special music video, directed by Steve Condiotti, edited by Melanie Ruiz, and color corrected by Gary Coates.
Click the image to the left to watch!
