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Sergio Mendoza y La Orkesta: globalFEST 2014

Imagine the 1950s big-band mambo sound of Perez Prado refracted through the lens of the 21st-century Latino experience in the U.S. That gives just a tiny clue to what's in store during a set with this Arizona band, led by keyboardist, guitarist and vocalist Sergio Mendoza. The group also features the rich baritone of Mexican vocalist Salvador Duran, framed by guitar, keyboard, percussion, drums and, of course, brass.

Though Mendoza bills the project as "indie mambo," he pours so much more into the pot, from psychedelic cumbia to splashes of merengue and ranchera — stretching each staple genre (along with a surprising cover of Fleetwood Mac's "Tusk") like taffy. As a result, the music isn't a museum-quality reproduction of eras past, but instead a living, breathing thing. Making their New York debut in this show, the Orkesta closed out the 2014 edition of globalFEST, and as the crowd crammed into Webster Hall's tiny basement space to dance, the room fairly glowed with the band's shimmering heat.

SET LIST:

  • "Mario Tambien Come (Mario Also Eats)"
  • "La Cucharita (Little Spoon)"
  • "Mambo Dukesa"
  • "Toma Tres (Take Three)"
  • "Amada Amante (Lovely Lover)"
  • "Niño Perdido (Lost Boy)"
  • "La Rienda (The Reins)"
  • "Tusk"
  • "Traicionera (Treasons)"
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    Anastasia Tsioulcas is a reporter on NPR's Arts desk. She is intensely interested in the arts at the intersection of culture, politics, economics and identity, and primarily reports on music. Recently, she has extensively covered gender issues and #MeToo in the music industry, including backstage tumult and alleged secret deals in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations against megastar singer Plácido Domingo; gender inequity issues at the Grammy Awards and the myriad accusations of sexual misconduct against singer R. Kelly.