Taj Mahal & David Hidalgo Together With Los Cenzontles

Here's an interesting pairing of talents that can be expected to deliver a welcome musical surprise: blues legend Taj Mahal and multi-instrumental wizard David Hidalgo of the three-time Grammy Award-winning roots-rock band Los Lobos, are teaming up with Mexican-American band Los Cenzontles for an album titled American Horizon.

Scheduled to be released on November 3, 2009 American Horizon is said to be a mix of traditional Mexican music, blues, cumbia, and psychedelic-rock. Lyrically, the album focuses on the elusive American dream, and the hopes and struggles of workers trying to achieve the dream.

For over four decades, bluesman Taj Mahal has been one of the most distinctive and influential voices of the blues. Through the years and over 40 album releases, the prolific singer and songwriter has developed a unique sound and vision, incorporating African rhythms and Caribbean styles into his Delta blues style. David Hidalgo, an accomplished singer, songwriter, guitarist, and keyboardist has been an integral part of Mexican-American roots-rockers Los Lobos for better than 35 years.

Los Cenzontles (The Mockingbirds) developed out of the Los Cenzontles Mexican Arts Center, a community cultural center founded in San Pablo by Eugene Rodriguez in 1989. Fronted by Rodriguez and deeply rooted in the Mexican folk music tradition, Los Cenzontles has released a number of acclaimed CDs and DVDs, and the band has also collaborated on record with artists like Ry Cooder and the Chieftains from Ireland.

Mahal and Hidalgo worked together on composing songs for the bilingual release, while Hidalgo and Rodriquez produced the album. Given the talent involved in its creation, we look forward to hearing American Horizon.

Related Content:
Taj Mahal Profile
Taj Mahal - Maestro CD review

Photo courtesy Conqueroo PR