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Like a true bohemian afternoon and evening, a time to enjoy, sing and share with friends, that is the album “Cuatro Copas: bohemia en la Finca Altozano” by La Santa Cecilia, which the group will present —among other hit songs— at their presentation at Fiesta Ravinia on September 15.
“For our part, we are very happy to be sharing the stage with our friend Julieta [Venegas]”It will be a night full of Mexican music, of all the emotions that we carry as Mexicans and Latinos through our music,” said José “Pepe” Carlos in an interview with La Voz.
“We have the album ‘Cuatro Copas’ and the documentary ‘Alma Bohemia’ and that lends itself to a bohemian night, a night of celebrating life through songs that are bridges to unite generations,” he added.
The group made up of “La Marisoul” Hernández (voice), Carlos (accordion and requinto), Miguel “Oso” Ramírez (percussion) and Alex Bendaña (bass) recorded this material at Finca Altozano, located in the Valle de Guadalupe in the Mexican state of Baja California, owned by chef Javier Plascencia —a friend of the group— as a celebration of their 15 years together.
“Cuatro Copas” was released last year and includes songs such as “Cuatro Copas,” “La Diferencia,” “Almohada,” “Debut y despedida,” and features as guests “the queen of mariachi,” singer Aida Cuevas, the Dueto Dos Rosas, and Patricio Hidalgo, a specialist in son jarocho.
The documentary “Alma Bohemia” captures everything that happened during the recording of the album; it was filmed by documentary filmmaker Carlos Pérez. It is also a continuation of that three-day bohemian experience, where there were also moments of reflection dealing with topics such as migration, abusive family relationships and the healing that the members have had in their lives thanks to music.
“The album is inspired by those moments of getting together with friends to have a bohemian atmosphere around a campfire to talk about life and celebrate. We talk about the history of La Santa Cecilia, which is almost 17 years old, and through those songs that taught us to feel life. You can hear all the sounds around us, it was all very organic,” Bendaña explained.
That bohemian vibe could have happened and been experienced anywhere, but Carlos emphasized that doing it in Mexico, in the countryside, was important for them as a band, as was having the guests and the selection of songs.
“A bohemian getaway is a therapy, to listen to songs, to talk… those moments heal the soul and that is very important in these times,” she added.
In particular, the song “Almohada” by Nicaraguan composer Adán Torres and immortalized by José José, “The Prince of Song” (1948 – 2019), after he recorded it on his album “Lo pasado, pasado” released in 1978 —the version by La Santa Cecilia has other arrangements.
“It was quite a challenge to sing a song by José José that is so emblematic,” explained Carlos. “That’s why it was important to give it a different take. It’s just Marisol and I, she singing and me on the electric requinto, we hadn’t done anything like that before, with that we gave the song a new feel, achieving a sensitivity that allows the song to travel.”
Being about to celebrate 17 years as La Santa Cecilia and being able to share different rhythms and stories with their music has been a gift of life for its members. Bendaña said that being together, like any relationship, has not been easy, but that they have grown together as artists, musicians and people.
“Santa Cecilia represents what it means to be bicultural, to be people with Latin roots who grow up in the United States. It has opened up a world for us, writing songs about our community, what happens to us, about love and heartbreak, and that continues to grow. Santa Cecilia is that vehicle that takes us to new places,” said Bendaña.
And to maintain the commitment to the origin, to be proud of what they are, in addition to sharing it with the new generations, Carlos emphasized.
“Something that was instilled in us was that it was very important to know where you come from in order to know where you are going, to bring your Mexicanness, your culture. I do it and each person has something important to bring and it is where they come from. I am proudly Oaxacan and I proudly carry it and celebrate it. It is a commitment to the origin.”
