Los Angeles, CA. (Top40 Charts/ Versa
Manos / Gorgeous PR) - 'One of L.A.'s most powerful and promising alt-Latino bands. Their work is original, imaginative, and gripping.' – LA Times
It's invigorating that festivals like Austin's SXSW are championing Latin artists such as Los Angeles' alternative-Latin band, Mezklah, who make their first official SXSW Festival and Conference appearance in March.
'Being asked to play at SXSW is a stroke of luck,' exclaims vocalist, Angel Garcia. 'Our first year at the festival is going to be a crazy trip for us.'
Mezklah – which means literally 'to mix' in Spanish – consists of Angel's dynamic vocal delivery and Greg Hernandez' sonic guitar onslaught, which when combined with drum-n'-bass, cumbia, trip-hop and afro-Cuban beats create a completely original style of music. Their debut, SpiderMonkey (Escuchalo) breaks all the conventional rules of language and song structure with tracks that flow seamlessly between languages and genres. A video for their single, 'Chango Araña' is in the finishing stages and will showcase the band's diversity and talent.
Being of Latin ancestry doesn't mean that Mezklah is your typical Chicano rock band. It's that kind of pigeonholing that Angel and Greg hope to avoid.
'It's not that I'm not proud of my heritage because I am. It's just that once that happens, it creates a void,' explains Angel. 'Our music is not just a Hispanic thing -it's about people, about human beings.'
In the past few years, Mezklah has relentlessly toured Europe and America, amassing fans from all walks of life and as distinguished as Ry Cooder, who asked the group to record a track for a future compilation covering diverse Los Angeles musical genres. Another well-known fan is KCRW's Nic Harcourt, who picked the band from literally hundreds of CDs to feature on his show, 'Morning Becomes Eclectic.'
Mezklah's live performance exhibits their innovative musical flair as well as their visually artistic side. Angel draws upon global cultures and rituals to hand-paint tribal illustrations all over the duo's bodies before every show.
'Whether you're playing for five or 500 people, being a performer is like going to church,' Greg says. 'You have to give it 100% of your heart and soul.'
Brace yourself as Mezklah prepares to lay it down for fans of all genres when they showcase their unbridled musical passion on the stage at SXSW in 2007.
www.myspace.com/mezklah
