Pistolera

Related Content

• They Might Be Giants
  October 26, 2011
• SXSW announces first 2012 showcasing bands, including Minneapolitans Howler
  November 1, 2011
• Joan's in the Park: A first look
  September 29, 2011
• Critics' Picks: Transmission with Jake Rudh, Big Audio Dynamite, and more
  August 3, 2011
• Kid Cudi
  July 6, 2011

More About

• Brooklyn (New York City)
• Sandra Lilia Velasquez
• Maria Elena
• Bob Marley
• Border Control and Customs

Although based in Brooklyn and infused with the alt/indie spirit of bands from that borough, Pistolera's sound comes from a source a lot farther south: in the rancheras, cumbias, bandas, and norteños of Mexico's folklorico tradition. Smokey-voiced Sandra Lilia Velásquez often writes politically charged lyrics about border issues and the plight of immigrants, and sings them en español with stirring flourishes over swirling accordion figures from Maria Elena and blistering, irresistible rhythms from Inca Satz and Ani Cordero. On Pistolera's latest album, En Este Camino (Thirty Tigers), the music's incendiary spirit is exemplified by "Guerra," a fierce cover of Bob Marley's "War." Complementing the core quartet is a tumultuous array of chortling horns and traditional rhythm instruments that conspire to inflame the grooves and ensure the fiesta never wanes. Favorable comparisons to Los Lobos aren't at all strained.
Thu., March 12, 7 p.m., 2009