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

• 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 ...

• Gisele João Headlines First NY Fado Festival Gisele João, Portugal’s most widely acclaimed fado singer to emerge in this decade, headlined the NY Fado Festival this past weekend at the Schimmel Center. Jon Pareles of the NY Times had this to say:
  “From her first song, “Madrugada sem Sono” (“Dawn Without Sleep”), Ms. João summoned a full spectrum of fado’s tempestuous passions, from ...
• DakhaBrakha Tours Live Soundtrack to 1930s Classic Film, “Earth” DakhaBrakha, the extraordinary group from Ukraine, has taken the US by a storm the past few years. Now they have begun touring a special program: their uniquely-DakhaBrakha live soundtrack to accompany the screening of the classic 1930 silent film, “Earth.” Directed by Aleksandr Dovzhenko, it is considered to be one of the most important films ...
• Riot Artists Welcomes Gisela João Riot Artists is pleased to welcome Portuguese singer, Gisela João, to our touring roster! After a successful showcase at Womex 2016, in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, she will be presenting her Fado program in New York in February.
  Her 1st album, “Gisela João,” received awards from the Portuguese media (Expresso, BLITZ, Público, Time Out, GQ …), ...

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):