About

From the ashes of Los Angeles’ 1992 rebellion/riots arose a collective of East Side musicians committed to respectfully continuing the legacy of over 70 years of Chicano Rock, standing on the shoulders of giants like Ritchie Valens, Cannibal and The Headhunters, Los Lobos, and many others. Named “one of Los Angeles’ most important bands” by the LA Times and winners of a Grammy award in 2013, Quetzal forges a sound that will simultaneously make you dance and contemplate change, a sound as rich and complex as their pluri-ethnic barrio experience.

Artist Links: Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Tumblr  |  Youtube

Areas of Representation: Worldwide

Biography

From the ashes of Los Angeles’ 1992 rebellion/riots arose a collective of East Side musicians committed to respectfully continuing the legacy of over 70 years of Chicano Rock. Standing on the shoulders of giants like Lalo Guerrero, Ritchie Valens, Cannibal and The Headhunters, The Brat, Los Lobos, and many others, Quetzal has created a path that has earned them the title of “one of Los Angeles’ most important bands”(LA Times).

Quetzal forges a sound that will simultaneously make you dance and contemplate change, a sound as rich and complex as their pluri-ethnic barrio experience. Their unique combination of community activism and creative compositions has allowed them to travel the world using music as a tool for creating a global network of musicians committed to building community.

Since 2002 Quetzal has been part of a transnational dialogue between musicians in California and Veracruz, Mexico known as “Fandango Sin Fronteras”. Many recordings, performances, and publications have been born from this dialogue. Their 5th album, “Imaginaries”, released by Smithsonian Folkways, received the Grammy Award in 2013 for Best Latin Rock, Urban, or Alternative Album.

Tour Dates

Videos

News

• Songlines Music Awards 2018 Nominees! Congratulations to two Riot Artists performers who have each been nominated in multiple categories for the Songlines Music Awards 2018!

  Oumou Sangaré: Best Artist; and Africa & Middle East
   

  Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino: Best Group; and Europe
  We wish them luck in the awards ceremony in October!

• Paul Krugman; DakhaBrakha in Kiev

  Friday Night Music: Dakhabrakha in Kyiv

  New York Times
  September 15, 2017 12:22 pm

  Since that’s where I am at the moment. It is, by the way, a surprisingly handsome city. Just looking at the city center you’d have no idea how much stress Ukraine is under.
  For those who haven’t seen previous clips, no, they aren’t doing ...

• Le Mystere des Voix Bulgares included in NPR’s “The 150 Greatest Albums Made By Women” NPR has created “a list of the greatest albums made by women between 1964 and the present, as an intervention, a remedy, a correction of the historical record and hopefully the start of a new conversation. Compiled by nearly 50 women from across NPR and the public radio system and produced in partnership with Lincoln ...
• Russia’s riot grrrl activists, Pussy Riot, bringing their psych rock theater production, “REVOLUTION” to SXSW and West Coast.

  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 2/24/2017
  Russia’s riot grrrl activists, Pussy Riot, reveal a 9 date West Coast warm-up tour around the SXSW premiere of their psych rock theater production, “REVOLUTION.”
  Based on the original novel by Maria Alyokhina, this show tells the story of everyday women gathering to resist the fascist regime of President Vladimir Putin. From their ...

Press

Quetzal is a cool and classy band… Rich songwriting, enchanting arrangements, and serious musicianship… As a group they exude a lovely and irresistible spirit. — LOS ANGELES TIMES

Breakthrough music with greater gravity than what pop music currently offers. This is Latin American pop for the serious listener.” — ALL ABOUT JAZZ

Download – CD Review: “Imaginaries” LA Times 3/30/2012

Downloads/Media

Technical Riders:

Quetzal Tech Rider 2015 – PDF

Press Photos (high resolution):