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May 13, 2023

Lucha Por Vida

By: Laurie Gallardo

Luz Elena Mendoza Ramos says the title of Y La Bamba‘s seventh LP Lucha has two meanings. “Lucha,” a nickname for Luz, btw, translates into “fight.” But “luz” can also mean “light.” Both apply to the album’s exploration of an existence in multiplicity – love, queerness, la familia, Mexican-American roots and Chicanx identity, confronting a familial history fraught with violence, and of course, the struggle and growth within this journey. It’s a diary of the emotion and solitude in pursuit of deeper relationships for Mendoza Ramos, as both an artist and a human being who simply wants to be.

Following this week’s fantastic Studio 1A set, Y La Bamba performs tonight, Saturday May 13, at The Ballroom, 2906 Fruth St. Doors at 7 p.m., and San Antonio-based artist Andria Rose opens the show.

Andria Rose

Episodes

September 29, 2023

The Homecoming

Put this in your 2024 calendar, in case you missed out this year. On Sept. 21, Mayor Kirk Watson officially declared the day as David Shabani Day in the City of Austin, presenting Shabani with “a proclamation for their craft and work in the industry both locally and abroad.” This is meaningful for Shabani on […]

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September 28, 2023

Worktape

Truly a Renaissance man. No exaggeration. Songwriter. Musician. Multi-media artist – which you’ll know first hand if you’ve ever been to Mobley performance. And now, in the recent words of Jonny Jukebox, “Are you ready for the next level?” Mobley’s journey takes its next cue from a collection of demos titled Worktape, and that’s exactly […]

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September 27, 2023

Black Rainbows

We’re all guilty of building up expectations. So, you might spin Corinne Bailey Rae‘s latest blazer Black Rainbows and find it something of a departure for Rae, in terms of a style that incorporates R&B, jazz and soul. This one gets loud, bold, experimental in many parts, powered by guitar and unapologetic vitality, all inspired […]

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