If with those faces there, and with waiters quell'appeal by Hilton Mexico City did music in our country, the Los Lobos would overlap only a few marriages between the Riviera and some village festival. A contract with a major label? Difficult if not impossible. Still, a long time ago, 1973, from which - says the t-shirt sold by the merchandising - offer a "quality service", the "Wolves" are the band's cross and ductile of American rock. Are the versatility of the components, the same as always, people that since he debuted on album (after years as a true "wedding band" in that east of Los Angeles, the first major record deal came in the mid eighties) has chosen of being on one side but "everywhere." And because they are handling and chitarrone hapanguere, Fender Telecaster and accordions, Gibson Les Paul from hard rock and, if needed, also the bajo sexto, a twelve-string Mexican guitar. Some tools are Norteno music, one that goes from Mexico to mingle with the sounds of South Texas, to form the "conjunto", a mixture of folk that draws as much of the U.S. leaping Latin rhythms, others come from the school more known of rock'n'roll and blues. Everything leads to a repertoire that can go from the dance halls of Tijuana to the far corners of some state amerucano the north, where the state still playing on the bar, and always will play, the pieces of Hendrix, the Allman Brothers, Richie Valens and Marvin Gaye.
This is enough to say what a kaleidoscope carry around Hidalgo, Rosas, Perez, Lozano and Berlin, and how many colors are able to brush on the boards of a black stage. What of the auditorium, the friendly shell wedged between the three huge shells designed by Renzo Piano for the Parco della Musica in Rome, can be a difficult stage, very difficult if you arrive in precarious conditions in which the band was in the first twenty minutes of the set. Instruments and amplifiers to replace the borrowed ones still on the road from the backstage, wires inserted at the last minute, the better placed microphones, sound levels from the complaint, that someone immediately brought the audience to cross to find a place where no you hear only the rhythm guitar at full volume: This is the scenario that accompanied the first three songs. Then better, with the tools - "our instruments," long relied mainly by Cesar Rosas and David Hidalgo, the two guitarists and vocalists of the group - who arrived one after the other and one after the other spread out across the stage in an unprecedented dynamic that became part of the show.
A little 'craft, a repertoire that initially focused heavily sull'orecchiabilità discs of the period 84/90, the love of a complacent public umerossimo but not tenacious and faithful, and so on, the sound of machine Lobos, playing near the emergency lane, he found a gas line and center line to swallow song after song, at great speed, always at the turn of the origins (the folklore of the Barrio) and the road of America's rock house, where Fry the two, sometimes three guitars were the most beautiful pieces pulled (How Will The Wolf Survive) or those moments blues (Just A Man) in which Hidalgo invents a voice that is half way between Winwood and Clapton.
not scare losangeleni five (plus one drummer occasionally added when Perez embraces the third guitar) to linger a bit on the brackets' test of their careers (Kiko And The Lavender Moon), proudly waving their roots (Volver Volver) convinced they are a bit 'also our own, a little wink' (the hint of Flying that the public seems to ignore), they ride the acclaimed hit (La Bamba), but do not forget the most difficult and yet very much appreciated the folds of their long distance record (The Pistola y el Corazon, all acoustic album in English). They do all this with a confidence and dexterity that fascinate and leave without parole, they do still gaming with the left hand a cable or a keyboard, and even encouraging those present to dance on stage with them.
not think of a group whose setlist is such a slice of history and vitality of American popular music. And there was room for some of the faces "other" that put Los Lobos know, otherwise would have been branded Disney songs from their distorted genius uncontrollable, or plots of latin rock less decipherable than the mainstream that most associate with this band.
summer arrives and with it a full U.S. tour that will see the quintet attezzarsi for festivals of all kinds (also given at the side of the reborn Steve Miller Band), fragmented in the Los Super Seven, launching into the rhythm and blues Cruises (Goes well, for some years, paid a cruise where, in the open air and at sea, play your favorite bands and musicians) and prepare for new recording effort, Tin Can Trust, the first "real" album in five years, will be in stores in a month exactly, in early August and will feature a cover of the Grateful Dead.
West LA Fadeaway, that they recorded in 1987 for Dead In The Dark, is the second honor of Hidalgo and the band members Jerry Garcia. There was Bertha in 1991, engraved for Deadicated, the Dead tribute album. Those were the years when Los Lobos were a bit 'more power in the market the disc. Came from the triptych, perhaps insuperable, formed by the album How Will The Wolf Survive, By The Light Of The Moon In The Neighborhood. The echo of the soundtrack to the film La Bamba had not turned off and a "certain" sound of Los Angeles still had all the spotlight on him (from the Blasters to Stan Ridgway, everyone was still a major).
Today, three hundred people gathered in Rome at least show that we are left alone to deal with the hard core of some trajectories of the music of the City of Angels. There is not a good bet on any flashback. It remains, however, heartening to see how this band on which disks can be read, before the names of the members, "The Los Lobos are still ...", has not lost an ounce of the ease with which he faced the boxes Twenty years ago or more, and there's a new job around the corner.
Need to stay alive, to say "we", to raise its voice against the kind of Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame. Because it's really strange that these "boys" that seem to have swallowed the big book of all the music of America, are "only" remember the "salon of celebrity" Rockabilly on the cover of a song by Ritchie Valens (La Bamba ).
This may be an honor but also an unbearable limitation for a band so complete.
(thanks to Philippe De Orc for photos of Los Lobos)
