Kalua: A Band With A Vision

First, let me state, " I like Kalua."

Kalua is a band of four young, charismatic, Latin men from Austin, Texas. They are Juan Diaz, (Mexico) vocals and guitar; Andres Junca, (Columbia) guitar; Andres Delgado, (Venezuela) drums and Andres Acevedo, (Columbia) bass. Their sound combines rock, reggae, punk and Latin, sung mainly in Spanish.

They formed in 2007 with a purpose and a vision. They weren't just going to be a band, they were going to be a "premier band in contemporary Latin music worldwide." They wrote original material, went to the studio, worked hard and the end result was the "La Novedad" CD.

You would think the hard work was over, but not for Kalua. The next step was get the CD and their music out in front of the public. These guys were everywhere. They were at both Pachanga Latino Music Festivals, two time winners of Burger King's "Tu Ciudad, Tu Musica" contest, numerous TV appearances, radio interviews and print and media reviews. What impressed me about Kalua was that they were executing their plan and maximizing band exposure and recognition in each appearance, interview and performance. Even after two years as a band, Kalua is still focused on their vision. They put out their second music video, touring and Rock y Roll Radio subscribes to their e-mail bulletins. (Do you subscribe?)

Second, the women love Kalua. I've seen Kalua perform at several Austin venues and they always attract a lot of women to their performances. These women are in all age groups and they are all dancing. You can tell they are really into the music and enjoying themselves. It's great to watch them.

Kalua is the model for success. They have the music, talent and drive.

To get a better sense of Kalua, listen to the song "La Novedad" on Kalua's website and check out their video below. Also, check out Kalua's MySpace page for show dates.

La Novedad - Kalua from KALUA on Vimeo.

Este Vato and El Tule at Jovita's

Este Vato and El Tule plus Girl Guitar at Jovita's on Friday August 28, 2009 in Austin, Texas.

Este Vato has steadily been building their presence in Austin with performances at Flamingo Cantina, Trophy's and MySpace Latino/Remezcla En Tu Cuidad Tour at the Mohawk and others key venues. Este Vato combines Cumbia Rock, Latin and Fusion with a beat that you can't help but dance to. They are also working on finalizing their new CD.



El Tule is a well established Austin favorite with performances at Pachanga Latino Music Festival in 2009, Jovita's and more recently repeat performances at Live Music@Central Market. El Tule plays a combination of Salsa, Latin and Cumbia music which you can definitely dance to or just sit back and enjoy. El Tule is also working on their second CD, "Pa Bailar". Rock y Roll Radio has El Tule's "La Sirena" on our playlist. Check it out.



Guitar Girl is the name of a business/school, founded by Mandy Rowden, which specializes in providing guitar lessons and songwriting instruction to women. The students then have the opportunity to perform at various venues under Guitar Girl. I'm sorry to say that I don't know much about Guitar Girl and hope this small paragraph does them justice but I really like the concept.

Visit rockyrollradio.com to listen to El Tule's "Sirena" and many other local and international artist.

Father's Day Radio Edition

Father's Day is a very special day. It is the day honoring all fathers and is typically celebrated by giving Dad gifts, fixing his favorite foods and other activities that bring family together. For Latino fathers, of Mexican descent, Sunday mornings typically mean tacos de barbacoba, a hot cup of coffee and pan dulce. Today the familia is gathered around Dad catering to his whims in order to please him on his special day. Later that afternoon, Dad will grill carnitas, chicken, sausage and helotes for all the family, including abuelo, abuelita, tios, tias and extended family. Along with food and family, special gatherings are never complete without "la musica." Music to sing to, to dance to and to cry to, as well as bring joy.

This Father's Day Radio Edition includes some unique songs. Some of these songs help convey the feelings and beliefs that Latino fathers hold true. These feelings and beliefs are many times instilled by culture, family and believe it or not, music. For example:

"El Rey" by Vincente Fernandez

Every Hispanic male, especially of Mexican descent, inherits the birth right of being El Rey. Now this birth right is something that the male carries with him throughout life but it is a right that has to be maintain because it can be lost or taken away.

"Reyna De Mi Amor" by Sunny Ozuna and the Sunliners

Every Rey has a Reyna. This Reyna De Mi Amor has to be taken care of because she is the one that can and will take the title of El Rey away.

"La Familia" by Kid Frost

Familia is very important to El Rey. Familia are his royal subjects. These royal subjects are what gives him the title and status of El Rey and they too can take awake the status.

"Low Rider Oldies " by Lowrider Oldies-GQ

Most, if not all, of Los Reyes like their cars. This car may not be a Lowrider but a car that is his pride and joy. The car gets a weekly wash and polish and El Rey is very particular who he lets in the car. This car is also for crusing the boulevard with his tunes.

"All the Young Dudes" by Alejandro Escovedo

Although the lyrics may convey a different messege, this song was chosen because Fathers sometimes feel like they are getting old and they're no longer a "Young Dude."

Wild Cards:

"Land of 1000 Dances" by Cannibal & The Headhunters

Old school song. Cannibal & The Headhunters have a very interesting story. Still a cool song.

"Calling" by Raphael Saadiq

Raphael Saadiq use to be part of thr group Tony!Toni!Toné!. Raphael recently put out an album, "The Way I See It," which is reminiscent of 60's Motown artist and music. It's an excellent blues/soul album and "Calling" caught my interest when Raphael starting singing in Spanish. I liked it so I thought I'd add it to the playlist.

"Papa Was A Rolling Stone" by the Temptations

Not all Dad's are El Rey. Some are absent Dads or part-time Dads. "Papa Was A Rolling Stone" is directed to those Dads.

Hope you enjoy Father's Day and the music especially selected for this special day.

Click on rockyrollradio.com to listen to the Father's Day Radio Edition.

Stay tuned for Rock y Roll Radio's Fourth of July Radio Edition.

Memorial Day Edition

Memorial Day occurs on the last Monday of May each year in honor of U.S. military personnel who have died during military service.

Rock y Roll Radio would like to honor all U.S. military personnel, past and present, and thank them for their service to country. As we celebrate Memorial Day, please don't take the day for granted but remember that all the freedoms that we enjoy were the result of someone's sacrifice.

On a lighter note

On the Pachanga Music Festival Edition, one of the bands that was purposely left out was Maneja Beto. "Maneja Beto is a rare blend between traditional Mexican cumbia and indie rock."

"For those not familiar with Maneja Beto, let me break it down for you. Their sound is unique. When I mentioned cumbia and indie rock coming together through them earlier, I was merely scratching the surface. They sing in Spanish but sound nothing like any other band you've heard, local or mainstream. They blend the keyboards and feedback with guitars. They merge two voices, Bobby Garza and Alex Chavez, with musical harmonies not yet touched by most Latin Alternative bands. Melodic is another word that comes to mind when I listen to their music. You really do have to listen for yourself."

"Are they energetic and exciting live? Honestly, no. Are they fantastic musicians? Yes. Are they original and creative? Yes. When you go to a Maneja concert, you won't find the large crowds (yet) or a mosh pit. You'll see an older mid to late twenty's and up crowd dancing to the cumbias and nodding their heads to the indie songs."

Maneja Beto has been on extended hiatus as lead singer, Alex Chavez, moved to Mexico to finalize research for his dissertation. They are re-uniting for this event and Rock y Roll Radio hopes that this is not a one time appearance but the first of many. Their absence has really created a void in the Austin Latin music scene because there is no other band that comes close to combining Mexican cumbia and especially indie rock as skillfully or effortlessly as Maneja Beto.

Panchanga Music Festival is the only event that you will see Maneja Beto at this time. Don't miss the opportunity or the experience.

Here is sample of Maneja Beto's music, "Los Cerros."






Quotes taken from Double Stereo music reviews by Ian Morales.

Rock y Roll Radio Launching May 5th 2009

ROCK Y ROLL RADIO will Officially launch May 5th 2009. This date is exactly one year from it's original debut in Austin, Texas, "The Music Capital of the World."

Rock y Roll Radio is under new ownership and management and promises to provide you with a variety of exceptional Latin music and Latin Alternative music. The site will be kept simple and easy to use. Only music and band information will be offered at this time. Other features such as interviews, videos and more may be added later but for now, simplicity is best.

The playlist will feature Latin Alternative music as well as some oldies, reggaeton, rap, rock en Espanol and much more. Plus feature local and international Latin Bands and Artist. We'll also play and feature bands that may not be considered Latin Alternative but have Latinos and Latinas that influence their music and sound.

Thanks and appreciation to Gwizsk Design for all the exceptional design and work on rockyrollradio.com and Myspace rockyrollradio. Since Gwizsk Design was instrumental in the launch and design of the original Rock y Roll Radio, there was no other choice except Gwizsk Design.

We still have some work to finalize but will be ready by May 5th, Cinco de Mayo and Latin Music Month in Austin, Texas.