Las Cafeteras rocked the house at their concert on April 1. The crowd was dancing, shouting, singing and clapping for the majority of the set in the Great Hall.

The event, which was sponsored by the Latina/o Graduate Student Association and many other student organizations, was an overall success and thrill for those who attended.

I wasn’t sure what to expect as I walked into the Great Hall. The crowd was seated, so I took a spot in the second row, trying not to get in the way of those who were chatting about how excited they were for the show to start.

It wasn’t until 7:30 that I realized that I had made a great decision in covering the band. The sound was an updated style of Son Jarocho music, which is a regional style of Veracruz, Mexico. All members played, sang and danced with great pride in their hearts.

They mixed together English and Spanish to tell stories about their lives. They also sang about current issues, like the Dakota pipeline controversy.

Las Cafeteras dedicated a cover of “This Land Is Your Land” by Woodie Guthrie to those who are protesting for clean water in pipeline sites. The arrangement started out slow, then built into a celebration of the earth and its resources.

They had many songs that were dedicated to social and political controversies, and it made the audience think in a way that was stimulating for the mind.

However, I believe that the greatest song of the night was a cover of Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire.”

The vocalist for the song, Leah Rose, had the most perfect and angelic voice for the song, usually heard in Cash’s gruff voice. Her spin on the song was clear and tuned to perfection, making it one of the best hits of the night.  She is seven months pregnant, which made it even more impressive to watch and listen to.  

The energy provided by the rest of the band also made the song ear candy. The instruments in the band included a variety of new and old school instruments, such as jaranas, requinto, a donkey jawbone, a West African bass instrument called the marimbol,a  cajón and a wooden platform called the tarima. Each instrument brought its own “twang” to the performance and made it very entertaining to watch.

Even though this song was my personal favorite, my favorite part of the show was the way that Las Cafeteras connected with the audience. They made the audience swoon with their quirkiness and phenomenal playing.

Even the shyest person in the room eventually found their way to the dance floor in the Great Hall. Las Cafeteras’ energy was consistent even though the majority of their songs were fast-paced.

Ratings by the LA Weekly and NPR praise the band, but I don’t believe that they really touch base with how spectacular Las Cafeteras really is. The only way to really describe the show to anyone is to bring them  with you.

Band member Hector Flores said during the show that their connection with those who see them is because of the people are in this band.

“We ain’t always in the same page, but maybe we can be in the same book.”