José Cano, member of “Las Cafeteras”, is a musical group that will be participating in the upcoming Festival International de Louisiane.
“To play and move people´s hearts and provoke change, no matter how small,” si what inspires José Cano to participate in the L.A. group “Las Cafeteras”. And that´s exactly what they aim to do at the Festival International de Louisiane, taking place here in Lafayette on April 28, 2023. It's difficult to define "Las Cafeteras" musical style. Although he doesn't have an exact description, Cano tries to define it as a mix of electronic folk rock. The group started with a love for the “Son Jarocho”, originally from Veracruz, Mexico.
"Cano" began his musical career in middle school, where he joined as a percussionist in the school band. Years later, he approached some friends who had a rock band. From there, he bought a drum set and never stopped playing since then, starting with friends who dedicated themselves to rehearsing the “Son Jarocho”, using jaranas, quintillos, and zapateado. That's how "Las Cafeteras" was born. All the members of the group have in common that they come from immigrant families based in California.
Cano believes that the most important thing is to have a connection with the audience, and in his case, he sings to immigrants. He wants to inspire them, but above all, he wants them to know that they themselves are a source of inspiration for the group, as they recognize their struggle to live a better life, as well as their effort to obtain justice and be treated with dignity.
For Cano, the difficult moment that migrants are going through is a never-ending story, and he is convinced that the conditions that migrants face in their countries are the main reasons that force them to migrate, although he thinks that now the conditions are more difficult than ever.
"Las Cafeteras" travel constantly throughout the country and the world, and this will be the third time they visit Lafayette. Cano is proud to participate once again in the Festival International de Louisiane. "Louisiana has a very pronounced mix of people from different parts of the world. What I find beautiful is that there are bands from all over the world and seeing people from everywhere, Africa, Puerto Rico, Mexico... It's an experience of joy, intensity, multiculturalism. What is shared is the language of love, affection, joy. That's what makes these festivals so powerful and special."
Cano's greatest aspiration is to make good art and inspire people to change the world, even if it's just a little bit. That's the greatest reward for the sacrifice of being a musician.
His message to the Latino community in Lafayette is simple: "We are everywhere and Latinos are always hard-working people who come to contribute and seek a good life. We are few, but crazy. Hopefully, we can see each other over there, say hello and have a great time."
“Las Cafeteras” will be performing on Saturday, April 29th at 8:00pm at “Scéne Tito´s Handmade Vodka”.
