La Santa Cecilia preserves vital Mexican musical heritage

(headline image: La Santa Cecilia – Photo by Humberto Howard)

Formed in Los Angeles in 2007, La Santa Cecilia is a Mexican American band known for combining Latin American musical traditions with U.S. pop, rock, and jazz influences. The group is named after the patron saint of music. The original sextet, Gloria Estrada, Pepe Carlos, Alex Bendaña, Miguel “Oso” Ramírez, Hugo Vargas, and vocalist Marisol “La Marisoul” Hernández, quickly built a loyal following by performing in a wide range of venues, from local bars to major festivals.

From the outset, the group distinguished itself by weaving together diverse genres such as cumbia, bossa nova, rock, and jazz while maintaining a clear connection to traditional Mexican sounds. Their 2013 debut album, Treinta Días, marked a breakthrough. Its single, “Ice El Hielo,” became an anthem for the estimated 14 million undocumented immigrants living in the U.S. and earned the group a Grammy Award for Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album. This recognition helped solidify their status as cultural ambassadors of multicultural identity in the U.S. music scene.

La Santa Cecilia – Photo by Humberto Howard

Since then, La Santa Cecilia has collaborated with a wide range of artists, including Elvis Costello, Bunbury, Fito Páez, Mon Laferte, and Lila Downs. These partnerships have reflected the group’s flexible musical identity, rooted in Mexican tradition but open to global influences. The band has also received multiple nominations for both the Grammy and Latin Grammy Awards.

A major milestone came in 2023 with the release of Cuatro Copas: Bohemia en la Finca Altozano. This live album, recorded in Baja California’s scenic Valle de Guadalupe, led to the group’s first European tour and deepened their exploration of bohemian and romantic Latin genres. The project reimagines classic boleros and rancheras in a live acoustic setting, blending intimacy with artistry.

Among the album’s leading is “La Carretera,” a traditional son jarocho with roots dating back over a century. The song was originally documented by historian and musician Dr. Antonio García de León and reintroduced to contemporary audiences by the group Chuchumbé. La Marisoul discovered the piece through Chuchumbé’s interpretation, and the band later collaborated with Patricio Hidalgo, a member of Chuchumbé and respected son jarocho lyricist, for their own version. Produced by Sebastian Krys (Rebeleon Entertainment/Virgin Music US Latin), the track combines reverence for tradition with emotional vocal and instrumental arrangements.

“La Carretera” exemplifies the band’s recent phase, which prioritizes acoustic storytelling and honors the romantic canon of Latin American music. According to La Marisoul, working with Hidalgo was a personal highlight: “Patricio is a great musician and traditional lyricist. He made arrangements and new verses for this song, and it is one of my favorites.”

The first installment of Cuatro Copas features reinterpretations of beloved standards like “La Diferencia,” “Debut y Despedida,” “La Copa Rota,” “Dos Botellas de Mezcal,” and “El Andariego.” Through these recordings, La Santa Cecilia not only preserves a vital musical heritage but also presents it with renewed relevance for contemporary audiences.

Discography:

Treinta Días (Universal Music Latino, 2013)
Someday New (Universal Music Latino, 2014)
Buenaventura (Universal Music Latino, 2016)
Amor y Vivir (Universal Music Group, 2017)
La Santa Cecilia (Rebeleon Entertainment, 2019)
Quiero Verte Feliz (Virgin, 2022)

Author: Iliana Cabrera

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