For those who braved the late April chill wind, the six-piece border-straddling world fusion party band Orkesta Mendoza brought some much needed warmth and high spirits to Brighton.

Led by Calexico member Sergio Mendez and flanked by the singing Mexican grandee looking Salvador Duran (stood atop a small foot-drum box of sorts), and with a super tight and musically literate band that included drums, bass guitar, accordion, hand percussion, keyboards, and assorted brass and wind instrumentation, Orkesta Mendoza had the whole place jumping and grooving, Mendez reminding all by the end of the set that the Komedia basement venue had a low roof, so watch your heads!

Before that, they blazed through a number of tracks from their superlative recent album; Vamos A Guarachar! a work that combines many indigenous styles of Southern America and the Americas in general: rancheros, mariachi, cumbia, ska, mambo, but with added psychedelic western melodrama, rock riffing, lounge, and garage-psych.

Originally founded in order to cover songs by Cuban mambo legend Perez Prado, they have successfully morphed into an original fusion band. 'Indie mambo' is what they have called it, but this only goes part way to explaining the breadth and depth of their influences, which they somehow coalesce into a fluid whole. Such as via the winningly cheesy lounge-meets-mambo of 'Mapache', the sixties surf-meets-Latin-Santana histrionics of 'Caramelos', and the blazin' horn riddled and modernised Cuban salsa grooves of 'Shadows of My Mind'.

Indeed, the element of loud fun (a feature of Cuban/Southern American/Latin-esque music, where they are often louder, but much less showy, than western punk and rock, for instance) is played out throughout tonight's set, with effortless ease, including a spot of audience participation as the trumpet player at one point appears from the back of the crowd before weaving his way around the smiling crowd.

They'll be doing some festivals this year includign WOMAD and Camp Bestival. If you are there be sure to catch them. It'll make your day.
Jeff Hemmings

Website: orkestamendoza.com
Facebook: facebook.com/orkestamendoza.az

Read our interview with them here: brightonsfinest.com/html/index.php/new-music-interviews/2376-orkesta-mendoza-interview-2