Cumbia, mambo, indie and Tex-Mex psychedelia
Orkesta Mendoza’s mix of cumbia, mambo, indie and Tex-Mex psychedelia – all in well-cut suits – comes to the UK. Their brash, widescreen style and witty reference to 60s instrumental pop is both effortlessly classy and enormous fun. Orkesta Mendoza is led by Mexican American kingpin Sergio Mendoza, who is also a member and co-producer of Tucson music legends Calexico, and arranger and founder member of Mexrrissey.
Mendoza was born in Nogales, Arizona, raised in Nogales, Sonora, and now lives back in Arizona. But the music he and his band make isn’t Mexican or American. Blending cumbia and mambo with psychedelic rock, polka, country and electronica, Orkesta Mendoza imagines what Nogales would sound like if the border didn’t exist. Focused, fierce and beautifully executed by a superbly drilled set of musicians dressed in their uniform of black suits and sunglasses, the band look like nothing so much as the Blues Brothers playing at a Day of the Dead party.
In association with La Linea, the London Latin music festival.
£12 adv, Tue Apr 25, 7:30pm.
Komedia.co.uk/brighton
Komedia.co.uk/brighton/music/zaza-music-presents-orkestra-mendoza
