That's Los Mocosos. If America still prides itself on being a melting pot, then this just might be the ultimate American band. Born in San Francisco's Mission District, Los Mocosos comes from the tradition that brought us Santana, Malo, and War classic bands that crossed cultural borders as well as musical ones, and whose lyrics had something to say beyond the shaking of one's booty.
Los MocososTheir first record on Six Degrees, Shades of Brown, had the critics excited - and trying mightily to avoid the dreaded Multiple Hyphen Syndrome. "Get ready to be swept up in Soulatino," was the Dayton Daily News' attempt; "a West Coast hybrid that mixes Latin pop with ska, swing and rock." Popmatters.com called Los Mocosos "a searing Latin ska, rockero swing, R&B funk and Spanglish hip-hop blend." Their new CD, American Us, is even harder to pin down. Almost every track has a musical surprise: the Latino barbershop ending on the album's leadoff track "Bandolera Era," for example; or the witty insertion of an almost doo-wop style vocal bridge in the middle of the reggae-driven party tune "Hey Mama." And if you ever wondered what it would have sounded like if Steely Dan had recorded "Oye Como Va" instead of Santana, check out the song "Volvieron."
The most impressive thing about American Us is that it doesn't sound like the work of a baker (a pinch of this, a dash of that); it is the work of a band that has its own sound a multicultural sound that's so convincing because it reflects who they are. "In the Mission District, bands have always played a varied repertoire," says Greg Landau, the sought-after music and video producer who collaborated on the new record. "If people went to a wedding or community event, you would hear the traditional Latin, R&B, salsa, rock, and romantic ballads played one right after another. So Los Mocosos just synthesized it and found their own voice."
Los Mocosos stake their musical territory right away in "Bandolera Era," a mix of classic Latin horns and rhythms with funky bass and guitar. This is a Border Blaster sound like those high-powered radio stations in northern Mexico that blast their music across the borders of the American Southwest, it's a hard-partying music that's both exotic and somehow familiar, with maybe a hint of the outlaw about it. In songs like "Señor Presidente" and "The Beast," the hints are gone: in the best Caribbean tradition, this is pointed social commentary disguised as good-time party music. "Señor Presidente" is sung mostly in Spanish (though the sampled voices are in English) to a genial salsa/reggae beat. "The Beast" is in English and cranks up the energy with a healthy dose of funk.
The name Los Mocosos has proven difficult to translate. For polite company, at least, the band offers the translation "the mischievous kids." Their sense of fun is what gives American Us its forward momentum, as you go hurtling from the charmingly retro organ sound on "Hey Mama" to the slightly goofy (alright, sometimes really goofy) lyrics of the song "Genius." And typically for Los Mocosos, they decided to sing the song "In The House" in English: "we're Latinos on a mission," they chant, and while some hip-hop scratching meets a Tower of Power horn arrangement, the group spells out its mission statement - "we're ready to rock the house." Lead singer Manny Martinez says "Yes, we are Latinos. And yes, we were born in the United States. We have extremely strong Hispanic and American cultural upbringings and as artists, it doesn't get any better than this because we are able to incorporate everything we love musically and to transcend being labeled."
Los MocososAs they've done in the past, Los Mocosos make it clear who some of their musical heroes are. The English-language rap on "Bacalao" alternates with a salsafied chorus that echoes the great Fania All-Stars of the 1970s. "I'm Your Puppet," the veritable low-rider national anthem, delivers '70s soul/funk, a la Earth Wind & Fire, or War - except for the rap break. "Amigos y Amantes" starts off with the unlikely meeting of cool electronica and sweaty horns, but soon evolves into a classic Santana sound. Keyboard player Steve Carter says the inevitable comparison to bands like Santana and Malo reflects the fact that those earlier bands also mixed a lot of different musical elements together. "We're doing that, but in the 21st century. There are a lot more styles and elements going on in our culture today. It isn't like we've been listening to those older bands for 20 years and now we're trying to have a band in that tradition. It's more that we're doing the same thing in our time that they did in theirs, but we're adding a lot more spice." In other words, Los Mocosos is a reflection of an increasingly multilingual, multiracial America hence the album's title.
It's an America that Los Mocosos have seen a lot of; they've toured with Los Lobos and played Washingon's Kennedy Center and New York's Central Park. They received a San Francisco Wammy Award (for Best International Band apparently they don't have a Best American Band category), a California Music Award (for Outstanding Latin Album), and were part of the groundbreaking compilation Escena Alterlatina: The Future Sound In Español, the only Latin rock compilation to ever crack the Billboard Latin charts. And just before recording American Us, they toured, perhaps inevitably, with Santana.
The rise of interest in world music has changed the American musical landscape. Even Britney Spears uses a Near Eastern-tinged melody on her Top 20 hit "Toxic" now that's what they call "market penetration." Latin music has been part of American popular music since Bing Crosby sang with Xavier Cugat's band almost 60 years ago. But now it's been joined by Jamaican reggae and dub, Afro-Cuban son, and a literal world of other styles that have become so familiar that it's impossible to think of American popular music without them. Los Mocosos didn't have to create this wild new blend of cultures - that's America in the 21st century. But someone had to come along and figure out a way to tell this multicultural America to rock on. And that's American Us
Somos Los Mocosos
Los Mocosos Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Que viva
Un dos
Que viva Los Mocosos
Llegando de la 23
Que mando de la buena, pa ponerse a lo pies
Que en las cosas de la vida no hay que darse al estrés
En vez con lo que caiga hay que jugar con lo que es
Hacemos limonada cuando llueve otra vez
Sacamos las botellas como hicimos ayer
Que la vida es corta y nunca voy a crecer
Que viva los Mocosos
Para que sepa usted
Traigo la greña larga y no lo cortaré
Somos rebeldes de la calle me enseñe
Orgulloso ser mocoso y que
Que viva los Mocosos
Para que sepa usted
Traigo la greña larga y no lo cortaré
Somos rebeldes de la calle me enseñe
Orgulloso ser mocoso y que
You vengo de la calle barrio la misión
Donde todo los Mocosos se conocieron
Con la misma chingadera que les digo en mi canción
Lo que me falta en talento lo tiene el corazón
Corazón de melón
La gente de mi barrio a perdido el control
Las chicas del concierto se quitan el calzón
A llegado la banda con el calentón
Que viva los Mocosos
Para que sepa usted
Traigo la greña larga y no lo cortaré
Somos rebeldes de la calle me enseñe
Orgulloso ser mocoso y que
Que viva los Mocosos
Para que sepa usted
Traigo la greña larga y no lo cortaré
Somos rebeldes de la calle me enseñe
Orgulloso ser mocoso y que
The first verse of the song “Somos Los Mocosos” by Los Mocosos is a rallying cry for the band and its fans. It starts off with a call to celebrate their existence, followed by a count off, “un dos” to get ready to start the song. The lyrics then go on to talk about the good times and good vibes that the band brings to their music. There is also a message of not stressing out over the ups and downs of life, but instead enjoying the ride. The band encourages their fans to take life as it comes and not to worry too much about what’s happening around them. They encourage their listeners to play with the hand they’re given, and make the most of every situation.
In the second verse, the band introduces themselves to the listener. They explain that they come from the 23rd street neighborhood in San Francisco, where they all grew up and where they met each other. They describe themselves as a group of rebellious street kids who have learned important life lessons from their experiences growing up. They are proud of who they are and where they come from, even if it means having long hair and not conforming to societal norms.
Overall, “Somos Los Mocosos” is a fun and upbeat song that celebrates life and encourages listeners to make the most of what they have. It is also a song about being proud of who you are and where you come from, and not apologizing for it.
Line by Line Meaning
Que viva
Long live
Un dos
One, two
Que viva Los Mocosos
Long live Los Mocosos
Llegando de la 23
Arriving from 23rd Street
Que mando de la buena, pa ponerse a lo pies
What good vibes, to get on your feet
Que en las cosas de la vida no hay que darse al estrés
That in life, you shouldn't stress
Que la bola sube y baja con el cheque del mez
That life is up and down like the monthly paycheck
En vez con lo que caiga hay que jugar con lo que es
Instead of playing with what may fall, play with what you have
Hacemos limonada cuando llueve otra vez
We make lemonade when it rains again
Sacamos las botellas como hicimos ayer
We take out the bottles like we did yesterday
Que la vida es corta y nunca voy a crecer
That life is short and I'll never grow up
You vengo de la calle barrio la misión
I come from the street in the Mission neighborhood
Donde todo los Mocosos se conocieron
Where all the Mocosos met each other
Con la misma chingadera que les digo en mi canción
With the same shit I'm telling you in my song
Lo que me falta en talento lo tiene el corazón
What I lack in talent, I make up for with heart
Corazón de melón
Heart of a melon
La gente de mi barrio a perdido el control
The people in my neighborhood have lost control
Las chicas del concierto se quitan el calzón
The girls at the concert take off their underwear
A llegado la banda con el calentón
The band has arrived with the heat
Somos rebeldes de la calle me enseñe
We're rebels from the street who taught me
Orgulloso ser mocoso y que
Proud to be a moco (slang for rebellious youth)
Traigo la greña larga y no lo cortaré
I have long hair and won't cut it
Que viva los Mocosos
Long live Los Mocosos
Para que sepa usted
So you know
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Dave Shul, Gordon Ramos, Happy Sanchez, Juan Luis Perez, Victor Castro
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
P. I.
Yo soy el cantante y compositor de la mayoría del material para este grupo en este CD, y lo que Carlos Jasso dice es verdad. Feliz Sánchez, (nombre real, Greg Bond) registró una melodía tha Ska vendido bien y cuando se le preguntó por más, él no tenía ninguna música, (no reall escritura nmusic sí mismo), así que me llamó para escribir y crear una banda real para él, cosa que hice, y nos dimos una vuelta internacional, befiore me di cuenta de que yo y otros miembros de la banda había robado durante cientos de miles de dólares. Todavía roba regularmente los materiales de los demás y la reclama como suya. Triste pero cierto historia.
P. I.
I wrote and arranged this song with Happy, Andy, and Karl Perazzo. It brings back memories.
Gordon Ramos
the band is back together and kicking ass working on our fourth CD you can reach the band on Los mocosos. Com or hip spanic All-Stars. Com
LOURDES MOSCOSO
Eso esta bueno!!
Pedro Romero
como contacto a los mocosos club de melomanos de la florida gracias
carlos jasso
Al parecer este grupo no existia como tal, fue a partir de esta cancion que grabo un grupo de amigos que la gente comenzo a preguntar quien tocaba y tuvieron que formar el grupo con el mismo nombre de la cancion...
Shorty Ramos
This band is back together under the name hip spanic All-Stars