Villalobos Brothers and Las Cafeteras

The Villalobos Brothers’ original compositions masterfully celebrate the richness of Mexican folk music, combined with the intricacies of classical music and jazz. Las Cafeteras, from East Los Angeles, mix roots music with modern-day stories.

Born and raised in Veracruz, Mexico, the Villalobos Brothers are internationally acclaimed as one of today’s leading contemporary Mexican ensembles. The ensemble’s performances delight audiences throughout the world and in venues such as Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center and at events such as the Latin Grammy Awards and Montreal Jazz Festival. Their album “Somos” was released in 2019.

Using traditional Son Jarocho instruments like the jarana (guitar-like instrument), requinto guitar, quijada (donkey jawbone) and tarima (a wooden platform), Las Cafeteras sing in English, Spanish and Spanglish, remixing sounds from rock to hip-hop to ranchera. The LA Times describes a live Las Cafeteras concert as “magnetic.”