Releasing its first album in 12 years, the Latin-fueled Grand Rapids band performed for Local Spins on WYCE, which also debuted new tracks by Barn on Fire, Ian Link, The Aquaerials, Borns and more.
Post-Mariachi Power: Julio Villalobos, left, of Cabildo, on Studio X with violinist Mike Prokopchuk. (Photo/Local Spins)
When you’re releasing your first album in 12 years as a band, there’s bound to be a lot of pent-up emotion and anticipation.
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Politically Charged: Guitarist and songwriter Julio Viveros. (Photo/Local Spins)
In the case of Grand Rapids’ Latin-infused Cabildo, there’s also a fair share of pent-up energy, musical fury and political fire – some of it sparked by the plight of immigrants to the United States and the sad dilemma of undocumented workers.
So the resulting recording, “Sin Fronteras,” erupts like breathtaking molten lava from a volcano of “rock en Espanol,” blending cumbia, folk, rock, ska and more into something that celebrates its Latin American roots in a uniquely West Michigan fashion with equal amounts of anger and glee.
Singer and guitarist Julio Cano Villalobos smilingly describes some of it as “post-Mariachi” music.
The rock-fueled strains of this large and incendiary ensemble generates real sparks and a true communal spirit – unleashed by the “nine different personalities” in Cabildo. Seven of those members stopped by this week’s broadcast of Local Spins on WYCE to ignite that musical inferno in Studio X with the album’s title track and a new tune, “Mi Pais.” Watch a video from that performance here, with the full radio show podcast below.
VIDEO: Cabildo, “Mi Pais” (Live for Local Spins on WYCE)
“We went from a cover band that used to play Latin America hits from the rock songbook to a band that’s writing our own music,” Villalobos said of the band which also features Julio “Jarocho” Viveros on electric guitar, Dustin Miller on drums, Eddie Killowatts on bass, Jonathan Mikulich on saxophone, Hector Rodriguez on saxophone, Michael Prokopchuk on violin, Josh Dunigan on percussion and Nate Bliton on keyboards and viola.
‘Different Personalities,’ One Band: Cabildo
“We grew up listening to Latin American folk music and lately that’s been flourishing in our creations. … The music we’re going to play today is full of rage in a way. There’s a lot of anger and disappointment in the music we’re going to sing today – politically charged.”
That includes “Sin Fronteras,” translated as “without borders,” a song written by Viveros to reflect his experience as an immigrant trying to support his family in the United States only to “have all the dreams broken by the situation.”
Villalobos said the band (which spent years on the new studio album, partly because of the difficulties in assembling a nine-piece group in which most members also have day jobs) has always injected some social and political messages in its music, even in the cover songs it used to play.
“We’re not just a band singing about sex or the usual topics,” he offered.
Cabildo officially celebrates release of the new album at 9:30 p.m. Thursday at Founders Brewing Co. in Grand Rapids, with Melophobix opening the show. Details online at foundersbrewing.com.
The band also performs with another Spanish-language group, EPCYA, on Feb. 16 at Tip Top Deluxe Bar & Grill, with Pancho Villa’s Skull and La Tyranna y El Cid also on the bill; $7 advance, $10 day of show. Get more information about that show online here.
Friday’s edition of Local Spins on WYCE represented the 175th episode of the show that spotlights local and regional music. In addition to Cabildo’s in-studio performance, the show featured new tracks by EPCYA, Barn on Fire, Ian Link, Borns, The Aquaerials, The Legal Immigrants and Jack and the Bear, along with music from cloudlight and Brian Koenigsknecht.
PODCAST: Local Spins on WYCE (Jan. 19, 2018)
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