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La Sinfonia Returns With Their Self-Titled Sophomore Album
LA SINFONÍA - Spanish Raps most passionate group brings its long-awaited second album...
A young couple from Mexico crosses the United States border and settles in East Los Angeles. It’s a journey that’s taken place hundreds of thousands of times. Leaving Mexico means their kids have access to higher education and the ability to succeed based on their work ethic and talent.
But urban Southern California brings a new set of risks – drugs and gangs. Bad influences everywhere. Having to take sides in turf battles because of sheer intimidation. It’s a world that the members of LA SINFONÍA – raised in East Los Angeles by first-generation immigrant parents – have known all their lives.
On their second album, titled "LA SINFONÍA", this bilingual hip-hop trio charts an inspiring path to navigating an unforgiving environment. With a Latino urban vibe, these new songs, such as “Stand Tall” and “No Merezco Tu Perdón (Idiota),” acknowledge that violence and tragedy are all around – but if you stick with good people and remember your roots, you have a chance to come out ahead.
It’s a theme that runs through many of LA SINFONÍA’s songs, and they offer themselves as proof that dreams can come true for a Latino in East L.A.
When LA SINFONÍA debuted in 2005 with EL DOLOR, LA LUCHA, Y EL TRIUNFO, it was a watershed moment in Latin hip-hop.
Hispanic urban music (Hurban), after years of being marginalized, was making up for lost time with a neo-baby-boom generation whose official language is “bilingual.”
Out of that creative renaissance came LA SINFONÍA, a different kind of group. The beats and the flow were always at the forefront, but their secret weapon was the passionate vocal blend provided by singer Vanessa “Vane” Bañuelos, and rappers Arsenal (Luis E. Bañuelos, Vane’s older brother) and Seis (Alfonso García).
Songs like “Inseparable” and “Abrázame Muy Fuerte” possessed a drama and a timeless sweep that made them hits at Hurban and Latin pop radio. The group also garnered praise from the press and music critics.
The members of LA SINFONÍA were thrilled at their first taste of fame, but kept their down-to-earth, laid-back attitude as they prepared their follow-up.
In 2006, LA SINFONÍA was close to wrapping up its second album. Songs had been recorded, guest stars had pitched in; the first single had been selected.
But toward the end of those sessions, the group began working with producers Neely and Vito – the Co-Stars (Teiarra Marie, Jaheim, Chingy). The chemistry in the studio was palpable, and the decision was made to scrap the all-but-complete project and create a whole new album, titled "LA SINFONÍA". The entire album was produced by the Co-Stars.
One major change for this bilingual group was complementing its Spanish-language songs with new material in English.
“Stand Tall” is an uplifting R&B/hip-hop jam that offers encouragement to young people – as Vane sings, “Nothing can break our pride, it’s plain to see... nothing can tear us apart but you and me, so stand tall...”
Another standout English track is the bass-bombing “Lullaby,” a song about unconditional loyalty over the years: “there ain’t no other like my girl, my partner in crime, this is a dynasty...”
Clearly, LA SINFONÍA rolled up its sleeves and re-thought how it wanted to do things this time around. As Seis notes: “The Co-Stars had the style we were looking for. They were more our sound, and we ended up finding our true ‘stilo.”
For his part, the Co-Stars’ Vito says he came into the sessions with no preconceptions. “I’d heard of LA SINFONÍA before we worked with them and I had an idea of what I thought they sounded like, but I didn’t listen to their previous records until after we’d worked together. They actually sounded very different from what I’d imagined.”
There was a comfortable vibe on the 2007-08 sessions – the Co-Stars crafted beats that LA SINFONÍA loved, while Vane, Seis and Arsenal had plenty of time to work and re-work their lyrics.
Befitting the digital era, LA SINFONÍA made sure it wasn’t forgotten as the months went by – the group dropped tantalizing previews of its new material on its MySpace page.
And now, the finished product is ready – the long, long-awaited second album, LA SINFONÍA.
With the Co-Stars at the controls, it’s a given that the beats will grab you more than ever. Meanwhile, LA SINFONÍA brings everything it’s experienced and learned into its vivid lyrics. “Our style is more mature,” Vane says. “We’ve learned a lot from each other.”
The first single at Latin radio, “No Merezco tu Perdón (Idiota)” features Vane singing the chorus of Joan Sebastián’s 2000 smash “Idiota.” It’s the first time the consummate singer-songwriter has granted permission for his work to be used in a hip-hop song.
While the original “Idiota” is about a shattered romance, LA SINFONÍA has turned the verses into a re-examination of family ties, as the prodigal son finally acknowledges the sacrifices his father made to support his family.
Vito says he was blissfully unaware of Joan Sebastián’s skepticism about clearing samples of his work: “I’m glad I didn’t know, because I might have shied away from it. Later, when people asked me how we managed to get the songs cleared, I realized what a big deal it was.”
“No Merezco Tu Perdón (Idiota), Vito points out, is a perfect example of a song that appeals to all ages, to people who normally would be uninterested in rap.
Adds Arsenal: “It’s feel-good music. The whole family can listen to our album. This album is for any age.”
There’s yet another Joan Sebastián classic that the group re-works for this album – “Gloria (Secreto de Amor)” – which derives its inspiration from the original’s epic introduction, when the singer baptizes his lover with the name “Gloria.”
While the group remains true to its Spanish-language roots, the English songs will resonate with the MTV3/mun2 generation to which LA SINFONÍA belongs. And the Co-Stars’ strengths with R&B and soul are notable as the group broadens its appeal while maintaining its East L.A. heart.
Vane, who became a mother at a young age, says one of her favorite songs on LA SINFONÍA is “Mi Reflejo” (My Reflection), a thought-provoking take on parenthood. “This song talks about what it’s like to be a parent, what it means to have a child and how it makes us feel inside.”
She also gives a moving performance on “Mi Virgencita,” which as a Regional Mexican-styled ballad represents a stylistic shift from the rest of the album: “This song is about immigrants – not just from Mexico, but from anywhere. I’m singing by myself, asking the Virgin for strength when I cross the border, just as my mother and father did when they made the decision to come here.”
Machin Tour | Feat. Akwid, Crooked Stilo, and La Sinfonia Oct. 10th Oxnard
10-10-2008
EL RODEO (Community Center)
451 W Hueneme Rd
Oxnard CA 93033
(805)432-2575
LA SINFONIA:
MySpace - myspace/lasinfonia
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