La Banda el Recodo, Banda Los Recoditos, Herencia De Patrones, Banda El Recodo, und Banda Machos

The Mexican banda group have been going strong since way back in the early 1940s, and are still performing today. Of course the line up has changed extensively since the original group, it’s lovely that the legacy of the band continues in new members who bring a new spirit to the group, and go on to create new and exciting music.
The band opened the show with the title track from the first ever ablbum Banda el Recodo from back in the 50s, and performed a few of the classics before moving onto their newer material from La Mejor de Todas, and Haciendo Historia. And indeed they are making history with the group having been together in various shapes and forms for so long. Seeing them live is incredible, with the live brass instrument, great vocals that harmonise brilliantly with each other, and the fabulous drummer holding the group together. Although the music is predominantly in Spanish, it’s really not a problem if you don’t speak the language, because the tunes are so catchy and the musicality is perfect, so you feel as if you understand the narrative through the melody.

For those not in the know, Banda is a kind of traditional Mexican music heavily based around brass instruments and Banda Los Rocoditos are one of the foremost players of it on the world scene, perhaps second only to their parent band Banda los Rocodos. The former was formed by friends and family of the latter in 1989, which says a lot about their popularity as people, as a dozen members formed the original band and it’s only gotten bigger since then, even after the departure of a number of vocalists. No matter which side of the Atlantic Ocean you reside and no matter how familiar one is with traditional Mexican music it’s very, very easy to be impressed by Banda Los Rocoditos. This is a band the size of a small orchestra, with four members in total not playing brass instruments and only one of those playing a percussion instrument, in this case a single snare drum. Yet the music they create and perform is by turns lyrical, evocative, thrilling and deeply moving. They possess the kind of chemistry a band can only gain with twenty five years of experience to their name and it truly must be seen to be believed. This is simultaneously music as heritage, and music as true art, and it comes highly recommended.

You see the photo of Banda Machos up by the top of this page? Yeah, those uniforms weren’t just for one ill-informed early photo shoot. Everything that the Villa Corona based Banda orchestra does as a band comes with all thirteen members dressed a lot like that, and you know what? They pull it off. Cos Banda Machos are as close as a Banda orchestra are ever going to get to being a heavy metal band. Trust me on this; it’s more than a little awesome. Their show can equal most other Banda concerts in technical ability, being as it is a celebration of traditional Mexican music done almost entirely on brass instruments. However the first sign that Banda Machos are a little less inhibited than most is the presence of a drum kit and a bass guitarist in their line-up. Most have little more than a snare drum for a rhythm section but it means that a Banda Machos show has a much higher emphasis on rhythm and dancing than most, which is always a good thing. The other thing that sets them apart is how much of a show it is, there’s so much life, so much joy in every moment. From the stage set up, to the lights, to the way that every member of the thirteen-piece orchestra is active onstage. It’s as much a spectacle as anything else, and it’s one not equalled by many artists playing at their level. So see it now, and remember it forever. Highly recommended.