About this Event
Mestizo Beat is an Afro-Latin Soul ensemble based out of Los Angeles. They are an instrumental group that blend the sounds of early 70s funk and soul, Latin jazz, afrobeat, psychedelic rock and hip-hop. The group is highly inspired by artists such as War, James Brown and the J.B.’s, Mongo Santamaria, Fela Kuti, Parliament Funkadelic and The Meters. The band’s music carries a certain sense of nostalgia, using their creativity to fuse the old with the new; constantly paying homage to the greats who came before.
Mestizo Beat was formed in late 2016 in Topanga, CA by the Magana Brothers, Aquiles and Agustin. The band name is influenced by their Salvadoran roots and their aspiration to provide music that will set fire to dance floors. Both working musicians in the LA music scene, they wanted to combine their efforts to create compositions inspired from some of their favorite artists that would focus on elements of tight rhythms, big horn sections and instrumental arrangements.
The band is built around “The Core Four” led by Aquiles (guitar) and Agustin (drums), back up by Pedro Flores (percussion) and Jose Castro (bass). What is unique about Mestizo Beat’s sound is the musicians surrounding the four players. Aside from the core members, the lineup often fluctuates, inviting different horn players, keyboardists and guest singers to jam and create with them. Over the years, the band has grown into an eight-piece, fire-breathing dragon. Built on the foundation of an expansive musical catalog, the band has taken its talents all over the country.
Ecstatic transmission of rhythm and harmony define the essence of a Mestizo performance. If the band is a solar system, the mighty brass section is the sun. A beacon of overflowing energy, it draws shades of Kool & the Gang or Fred Wesley’s J.B.’s. Blazing guitar solos streak across the night sky like meteors in the shape of Hendrix and Santana. The groove-gospel circulates through the ethers as soulful organ solos and ground-shaking bass lines summon deeper meanings than words can express. These elements all flow through the veins of fierce Latin rhythms and propulsive drum grooves.
Their passion for this music is a force that cannot be denied, igniting the dance floor into an electric frenzy, leaving your soul with the vibration of love. It is their legacy to share their appreciation for this music with the world, to spread the message of unity and equality while embracing the beauty of diversity and cultural differences by living, loving and dancing with one another in peace and harmony.
About the Supporting Act
Every time they play here, Boca Do Rio transport us into an exotic sonic jungle of infinite possibility. Guitarist/vocalist Kevin Welch and percussion master Alex Calatayud are tapped in to the essence of what the pulsing, seductive energy of Brazilian music is all about. On this occasion they will present their streamlined incarnation as Boca Do Trio. Prepare for an enchanting cultural experience while being hypnotized by Afro-Brazilian rhythms. Along with their South American roots, they also draw from San Francisco’s well of funky, psychedelic samba.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Crazy Horse Saloon and Grill, 230 Commercial St., Nevada City, United States
USD 23.11
