Las Cafeteras

Drawing on the Son jarocho tradition of Veracruz, Mexico, Las Cafeteras blend spoken word, folk and zapateado dance into a sound rooted in East Los Angeles. Their name nods to the Eastside Café in El Sereno, the community space where the members first learned the style in classes. Their songs take on subjects as varied as the Civil Rights Movement, the United Farm Workers, the DREAM Act, immigration reform and the killings of women in Ciudad Juárez, and they describe their music as a means of driving positive change.

The group began as students at the Eastside Café, taking Son Jarocho classes, before formally performing as a band in 2005. Since then they have shared stages with Caifanes, Lila Downs, Juanes, Ozomatli, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Their remake of the traditional Veracruz song "La Bamba", titled "La Bamba Rebelde", denotes Chicano pride. Current members play instruments including requinto jarocho, jarana, cajón and quijada, alongside zapateado dancing, and past members have included Annette Torres.