Photo provided by Nacional Records.

The Barcelona-based duo The Pinker Tones, created by Profesor Manso and Mister Furia, mix an eclectic range of sounds that can stand alone as pure electronic music or can be fused with indie, dance and rock. Either way, it’s hard to resist tracks with names like “S.E.X.Y. R.O.B.O.T.”  The band now has their own record label called Pinkerland Records and has collaborated with Kinky, Nortec Collective and Torpedo Boyz among others.

After much anticipation, an instagram photo movement of fans taking pictures with the words “We want to live in stereo” and hashtagging it with #lifeinstereo, the Pinker Tones released their latest album Life in Stereo on May 15  just as their 10-year anniversary rolls around. In the celebration of a decade’s worth of work, the band kicks off their U.S. tour today in Los Angeles and will head to Austin on May 25 where they will perform at the Beauty Ballroom. Their tour will come to an end the next day at the Neon Desert Festival in El Paso.

Chilean pop singer Mariel Mariel started out winning a contest that launched her music career with the debut of No Me Despierten. Then she won another contest and released La Musica Es Buena. Since then, drawn to the rich musical talent in Mexico, she relocated to Mexico where she has worked with Natalia LaFourcade, Leonel García and Juan Manuel Torreblanca.

Mariel Mariel adds a unique layer to a 1960s romantic bolero with her contemporary touch on her first single “Nos Llevamos Tan Bien,” featuring Grammy nominated Natalia LaFourcade who complements Mariel’s soft voice perfectly. The video was inspired by Southern Chilean bolero singer Cecilia and takes us back to the ’60s with it’s production and imagery.  The two spend a carefree day with their furry pets only to find a mess left behind.

Watch the video directed by Benjamin Estrada below:

Rodrigo y Gabriela live at Stubb's (photo by Mari Hernandez)

This time though, they brought along some friends. As part of their tour for their latest album, Area 52, they were accompanied by C.U.B.A, a 13 piece Cuban orchestra from Havana. The album is also Rodrigo y Gabriela’s first collaboration with other musicians.

The album’s nine tracks are re-interpretations of familiar songs: “Ixtapa,” “Juan Loco,” “Tamacun,” and “Diablo Rojo” from 2006′s Rodrigo y Gabriela and “Hanuman,” “11:11,” “Santo Domingo,” “Logos,” and “Master Marqui” from 2009′s 11:11.

The result is outstanding. Horns, Saxophone, bass and drums combine with Rodrigo y Gabriela’s mind-bending guitar work to produce a funky, rock-tinged, Fania-inspired sound. One could even say that the collaboration opens up another way of experiencing their music. The result is one that must be seen live to get the full, high-energy effect.

As you can expect from their show, they immediately jump into the music. The whole set was a production, really. Halfway through, C.U.B.A leaves to let Rodrigo y Gabriela take the stage.

“It’s a pleasure for us to play for you tonight,” Gabriela said.

C.U.B.A. came back on stage to help finish the set, and the duo dedicated “11:11″ to their crew. Given the cheers coming from the audience, there was no doubt that they were thinking it was a pleasure to hear them play.

Live photos by Mari Hernandez.

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Cilantro Boombox will be the first band to take the stage on Friday. What started in 2010 as a track collaboration between Felix Pacheco and
saxophonist/flutist Joe Woullard (Black Joe Lewis, Hardproof Afrobeat) snowballed to a full on music project with collaboration from many talented Austin musicians. Their music fuses elements of hip hop, funk, Afrobeat and traditional Latin rhythms. Cilantro Boombox perform at 10 p.m.

Headlining the night’s showcase will be Ocote Soul Sounds, an Austin based Latin fusion band lead by talented Adrian Quesada (Brownout, Grupo Fantasma) and Martin Perna (Antibalas). Their music blends Afrobeat, soul, jazz and traditional Latin rhythms together for a unique and original sound. One of the best live bands in Austin, Ocote Soul Sounds is a must see live. Ocote Soul Sounds perform at 11 p.m.

The best part? We will be giving away one free pair of tickets this Friday on our Facebook page. To qualify to win, just click LIKE whenever you see the link to this post on our Facebook Wall. Yes, that means you can enter your name more than once. We will draw the winning name on Friday morning, the day of the show, and notify the winner via Facebook email. Good luck!

Club DeVille is located at 900 Red River. Doors open at 9 p.m. 21+ are welcome. Cover is $10. Live art by B.e. STRANGE. Opening D.J. sets and transitions by Steven Lee Moya. Visit the event post on Facebook here.

While music and events will be happening all day (see full schedule here), the region’s best indie Latino bands will be playing from 8:45 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Austin Vida, Red River Noise and our friends from Eye In The Sky Collective are bringing in some of our old favorites along with a hot up-and-comer from Monterrey, Mexico. Don’t worry if you don’t speak Spanish as all the bands perform in English.

Taking the stage at 8:45 p.m. will be HUSKY from Monterrey, Mexico. Their indie-pop sound has garnered them a lot of buzz in Mexico, including Starbuck’s “song of the week” and a gig at the Hellow Fest music festival. They are one of many hot young indie bands coming out of Mexico that you don’t know about yet, but you will soon.

Austin-based Ex Machina follow HUSKY at 9:45 p.m. Their sound is a fusion of prog-rock, punk, indie and Latin rhythms. Lead by the masked Blas Moreno, Ex Machina is energetic and offers something unique in a town full of stand out talent. At the moment they are kind of under the radar, but once people see them live that should change.

San Antonio’s Hydra Melody brings their genre defying sound back to Austin. For those not familiar with Hydra Melody, they are basically the next Minus The Bear or Cursive with more of a raw edge. Every show we’ve had them on seemed to be a fanboy sing-a-long and a great time. Hydra Melody perform at 10:45 p.m.

Co-headlining the night are the McAllen, Texas based The Young Maths. The indie-punk rockers have performed on multiple Austin Vida and Red River Noise showcase through the years and never disappoint. With James Brown like conversation during song breakdowns, The Young Maths are like any other band to come out of the Rio Grande Valley. Be ready to dance, drink and sing along when the Young Maths perform at 11:45 p.m.

Frontier Bar is located at 2421 Webberville Rd. All ages are welcome. This event is FREE for 21+ and $5 for minors. Enjoy giant adult water slides, taco tossing, water balloon fighting, jacuzzis and chihuahua races. Yes, chihuahua races. RSVP on Do512 here for a chance to win a free $25 bar tab.

Maga Bo’s bass mixes are just as intricate and entangled as his own life stories filled with drunken taxi drivers, corrupt police men and malaria but it’s only to be expected after traveling to more than 40 countries. His journeys here and there have influenced his sound but one thing remains the same and that’s the Afro-Brazilian roots the Rio de Janeiro based musician keeps intact. Layers of hip-hop and dub get fused into the traditional mix all to reflect the rhythms of the world the musician has encountered.

The end of this month brings out just a hint of all the rhythms Bo has explored with Quilombo do Futuro due May 22 via Post World Industries.  The album incorporates samba, jongo and capoeira mixed with dub, hip hop and kuduro, grime and dubstep. The combination of all these musical elements offers a cultural resistance against a Brazilian economy built on slavery just as the title suggests with the word quilombo that refers to a fugitive settlement built by ex-slaves.

Listen to “No Balanço Da Canoa” below and download here.

Two of Austin’s best Latin bands, El Tule and Este Vato, will be the feature performers on the Hotel Vegas stage while up-and-comers Migrant Kids open with their spastic indie-electro set. All three bands are prime choices for a great Cinco de Mayo party.

Hotel Vegas is located at 1500 East 6th Street on the east end of the Salinas Building and across from Nuevo León restaurant. Doors open at 7 p.m. Cover is $7. 21+ are welcome. In between bands be sure to check out the back yard to enjoy street food and partake in some fun and games. Visit the official event page on Facebook here and on Do512 here.

Austin-based singer-songwriter Gina Chavez opens the night’s showcase. Chavez is coming off a career year in 2011 after having been featured on the city’s Austin Music Compilation, Austin Music Volume 10.  She’s headlined for Austin Vida at Cactus Cafe and is a  Pachanga Fest alumnus.  Her music is a beautiful fusion of folk, indie and traditional Latin rhythms. Get into the Cinco de Mayo spirit with Chavez at 9:30 p.m.

Closing out the night’s Cinco de Mayo festivities are the new look Manzanas Malas. Their music fuses elements of cumbia, salsa, pop, hip hop and other traditional Latin rhythms. New lead vocalist Victoria Acosta brings a youthful pop energy to the band while still staying true to the band’s original sound fans have come to know and love over the years. After helping us bring the party in January and March, we’re happy to have them perform for us again. The band will be performing some of their fan favorites along with some new tracks from their upcoming album due out later this year. Manzanas Malas take the stage at 11:15 p.m.

Jovita’s is located at 1619 South 1st Street. All ages are welcome. Cover is $7. Doors open at 9 p.m. Parking is free. Visit the event post on Facebook here and on Do512 here.

The reggae hip-hop hybrid Locos Por Juana can make someone go from swaying their head with their slow beats to hitting the dance floor when they speed things up a bit with some champeta, funk, cumbia and Afro-Colombian rhythms. With their array of sounds the band has fit right in, playing at festivals in Europe as well as in the U.S. The Miami based band has also been nominated for a Grammy and Latin Grammy nomination.

Just in time for all the summer late night dancing, the band gets ready to release their fifth album, Somos de la Calle. Giving us a taste of it, their latest single, “Afro Sound” proves that’s what summer is all about. The name of the song pays tribute to a Colombian band of the same name that Locos Por Juana listened to as children. But the name goes beyond admiring a band; it’s exactly what you will hear with a mixture of Locos Por Juana’s style and Palenke Soultribe‘s remix touch.

Watch the music video below.

Eugenio del Bosque / courtesy photo

It’s a little blue house with a white door, past a jungle of a courtyard behind a picket fence—the office of the Latin American film festival Cine Las Americas, which after 15 years is growing stronger than ever. Eugenio del Bosque greets me in his office, a small space covered in Cine posters that date back to 2003. His desk faces a wall covered in colorful pictures, concert tickets and hanging press passes, but he leads me to the conference room in the back, beyond the office noise and buzz.

The first thing del Bosque, the festival’s executive director, says is he speaks fluent Spanish, because he’s Mexican—half chilango (from Mexico City), half regio (from Monterrey). He studied communications at Tec de Monterrey, and worked as a film editor and producer for nine years when he stumbled upon a project called Cine Las Americas in Austin. He joined as a volunteer in 2002. “They sent me to represent the festival in the Havana Film Festival in Cuba. And that’s what changed my life. I came back full of ideas. I was just a volunteer, but I really wanted to do more,” del Bosque says.

He became the festival’s programmer the following year and its executive director in 2006, a position he’s held since then, and one he began with a passion. “Back then, the Latin American festival in Havana was the big monolith of Latin American film, that’s where everything happened,” he says. “To be honest, before, I was not in that loop. I mean, I came from Monterrey. Everything we saw was Hollywood, so it was a big eye-opener for me, a whole new world. And I figured, we can do it in Austin.”

Cine Las Americas—this year running from April 24-29—takes place in different venues around the city, such as Alamo Drafthouse, the Mexican American Cultural Center and St. Edward’s University. It brings in movies from South America, Spain, Mexico, the U.S. and beyond, all of which go through a selection committee. “We always get really excited about seeing these films. You go to other countries and see them, and get excited about bringing them back,” he says. “That was the thing that closed the circle for me, having been in Havana, where somebody recommended to go see something so I saw it, liked it, and fast forward six or seven months and we’re sitting at the Alamo Drafthouse watching that same movie.”

Cine Las Americas 2012 poster

In 2011, Cine Las Americas had 2,700 attendees—filmmakers, producers, actors and viewers from Houston, San Antonio and Austin. “The Austin audience is very well educated,” del Bosque says. “It’s educated and sophisticated, but it’s laid back in its protocol.” It’s this audience that makes the best moments in the festival happen for del Bosque, whose favorite part of the job is that—sharing the films, and absorbing the reaction. “When you have someone presenting their movie, and an audience responding in a positive way, that’s priceless,” he says. “Because it can be kind of lonely; this is not a glamorous job. So only if those things are happening, then you are happening.”

There are several of those films that del Bosque can recall had a particularly strong reaction. He remembers a specific film, De Nadie, that left the audience in tears. “It was the first documentary to talk about the Central American experience of crossing Mexico. For the immigrants. And it was just, you know, terrible things to see. What was happening on the screen was so… it was a big reaction.”

Del Bosque’s excited for several things to come—both in this year’s Cine Las Americas, and the larger spectrum. The group is implementing a membership system, for example, as a fundraising strategy. Del Bosque also speaks of the programs that Cine Las Americas supports, such as BeatLab and Emergencia. The latter is a youth film program during the festival to celebrate filmmakers 19 years old and younger. This year, Emergencia is partnering with Cinema Ducan, an organization whose goal is to put youth films at the Cannes Film Festival. “It’s really a lot of fun,” he says. “This is made by youth, and these artists usually don’t have the preocupations that grown-ups do, so they have a very fresh voice. They’re very free to say what they want to say.”

It’s clear in del Bosque’s voice that he looks forward to Cine Las Americas 2012 as much as he looks forward to coming into the office every day, to his unglamorous and beloved job.

Cine las Americas films Del Bosque is excited for:

• Alguien ha visto a Lupita? (April 24 at 7 p.m. Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar)
• Aqui Entre Nos (April 28 at 7:15 p.m. Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar)
• De Caravana (April 25 at 9:30 p.m., April 29 at 11:30 a.m., Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar)
• Los Viejos (April 29 at 4:30 p.m. Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar)