Led by multi-instrumentalist Sergio Mendoza, the Tucson, AZ-based outfit Orkesta Mendoza delivers a potent bouillabaisse of traditions, blending assorted Mexican regional styles (including cumbia and mambo) with electronic elements and infusions of pop and rock. Second album ¡Vamos A Guarachar! documents the band’s substantial strides; amid a rising tide of intolerance and a desire for isolationism their example of cultural exchange is more vital than ever. It’s out now on vinyl, compact disc, and digital through Glitterbeat.
Springing to life as a one-off project paying tribute to the Cuban mambo king Pérez Prado and releasing their debut Mambo Mexicano as Sergio Mendoza y La Orkesta, the more tidily monikered Orkesta Mendoza can be considered as part of the longstanding Arizona roots impulse, with its principal member having toured and recorded with Calexico (whose co-leader Joey Burns co-produced Mambo Mexicano). But in a manner akin to the interwoven cultural fabric symbolized by Calexico’s choice of name, Orkesta Mendoza represents an organic mix of assorted traditions steeped in contempo flair.
Sergio Mendoza was born in Nogales, Arizona and raised in Nogales, Mexico, with his youthful musical interests dominated by cumbia and the associated Mexican styles of mambo, rancheras, and mariachi. However, like many youngsters, Mendoza was eventually seduced by US rock, which he claims to have played exclusively for roughly 15 years.
Unsurprisingly, Mendoza gravitated back to his early loves but without sacrificing his interest in rock as he chose pop relevance over folkish antiquity. For the new album, the lineup consists of Mendoza (vocals, keyboards, guitars, drums, percussion, programming, and horns), Sean Rogers (bass, lead vocals on “Shadows of the Mind”), Marco Rosano (sax, clarinet, trombone, keyboards, and guitar), Raul Marques (backing vocals) and Joe Novelli (lap steel). Additionally, Salvador Duran’s vocals enlarge three of ¡Vamos A Guarachar!’s tracks including opener “Cumbia Volcadora.”
Beginning with the husky guest voice of Camilo Lara (he of the noted electronic outfit Mexican Institute of Sound) and intermittently audible sirens, “Cumbia Volcadora” reverberates in the mode of hot rod cruising music or a weekend dancefloor igniter; indeed, the album’s title is a call to celebration. And yet key to the track’s success is its musicianship, as multifaceted as it is sturdy.
The horn lines are sharp and clear, the rhythm is deep (and almost reminiscent of dub) and the keyboards add essential color to the momentum as Duran’s vocals, spirited but smooth, complete the picture. Rather than slow down, “Redoble” heads in the opposite direction, quickening the pace through a space-age pop-tinged shuffle.
This harkens back to Mambo Mexicano, a record that’s main weakness is politeness hinting at pastiche. Here, the recurring growl-chant of the title and a smidge of hard rock guitar bombast strengthen “Redoble,” with the maneuver representative of the whole. To expand, the tougher execution is simply crucial in turning “Misterio” into one of the album’s highlights, the ballad exquisitely sung by Duran and featuring Joey Burns on upright bass and his Calexico mate John Convertino on drums.
“Mapache” takes a sharp, elastic detour into Joe Meek-like border town new wave surf rock, while “Cumbia Amor De Lejos” leans closer to the trad zone courtesy of Duran’s vocals and decidedly rootsy instrumentation that gets subtly enhanced by electronic shading. “Mambo A La Rosano” follows with a more even split between long-established style and novel elements, offering segments connecting a bit like Mancini getting a sponge bath in ‘90s electronica, but through sheer tenacity the gamble pays off.
“Caramelos” is a boldly contemporary pop-rock affair, combining flutes, raw guitar, programmed beats, faux scratching, a wide-range of vocal additives, and a nifty organ solo into a familiar package wielding a distinct flavor. The scenario persists in “No Volvere”’s succinct, mildly psych-edged blend of vocals, horns, and electronic textures, the track helping to counterbalance the quirkier side of Orkesta Mendoza’s personality and promoting cohesion through the same basic ingredients.
After “Caramelos” ¡Vamos A Guarachar! becomes less explicitly dance oriented and more about honing a complex yet flowing instrumental and stylistic aural tapestry. “Contra La Marea” sports cascading piano, wiggly clarinet, a galloping rhythm, and Western-inclined locomotive horn blasts, the combination transcending anything on Mambo Mexicano while retaining the same sensibility.
“Igual Que Ayer” is an appealing pop nugget, and if one desired a snapshot of Orkesta Mendoza’s essence it’s found in the pairing of mariachi horn and programmed beat that’s located roughly mid-way through the tune. Another tidbit would be the brief stutters redolent of a skipping CD that emerge during the instrumental horn breaks in “Nada Te Debo.”
It’s fair to state that nobody else sounds like Orkesta Mendoza, though they also aren’t in a class by themselves. Along with the Calexico connections, Gabriel Sullivan of labelmates Xixa and Jairo Zavala of DePedro provide guest vocals on “Nada Te Debo,” and the tune’s earthiness brings Mendoza into the general proximity of their AZ mate Howe Gelb.
But “Shadows of the Mind,” which is ¡Vamos A Guarachar!’s only selection to utilize English lyrics, steps away from a desert vibe for a poppish, danceable coda as the impact of Mexico is still abundantly clear. If bolder and edgier to productive effect, Orkesta Mendoza’s latest integrates the array of influences with increased deftness. With the band’s leader born and raised in a border town, that’s ultimately no surprise.
GRADED ON A CURVE:
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