Las Cafeteras at the Heritage Festival...

The City of Lufkin did a great job booking the band to play the Heritage Festival and Market Days. Las Cafeteras, from East Los Angeles rocked the stage set up on First Street between the old Lufkin National Bank and Angelina Hotel with some great music that they describe as "Their Afro-Mexican beats rhythms and rhymes deliver inspiring stories that document a community seeking love and justice in the concrete jungles of L.A." That philosophy and music resonates here in Lufkin also.       

Traditional instruments combine with the modern to form a danceable mix of beats, old folk songs with an updated bilingual version of Woody Guthrie's "This Land is Your Land" thrown in for good measure.  

Powerful voices and great musicianship.

Hector, the man in the white jacket was an energetic front man. the band's web site lists one of his hobbies as playing anti imperialistic soccer where the score is always 2-2. Check the bios of the musicians on the internet. I think there is a little more to these people than say the members of Lynyrd Skynyrd who list what they know as fishing and playing guitar.   

All were great singers and dancers.

For their final number they invited my friend Casey Williams and his congas up to jam. Casey of Avenue Speak was set up at the festival with a drum circle. He was a natural fit for the music of the group. 

If you get a chance check out Casey and his Drum Talk drum circles. It's a program to provide education on the benefits of hand drumming. There's a bit of how to live better that gets discussed also and who does not need that?

 I have attended one of Casey's Drum Talks, we have done some street jamming and played a Drum and Tuba Christmas program. I guess I can add to my resume that I have played with a guy that's played with Las Cafeteras. 

I think the name Las Cafeteras translates roughly to "The Coffee Makers." There was no coffee served but this music will certainly wake you up in many different ways. 

Thanks again City of Lufkin for bring this great show.