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La
Sinfonia
With its debut Sony BMG release El Dolor, La Lucha
y El Triunfo (Pain, Struggle and Triumph), rap-en-Español
trio La Sinfonia offers honest commentary on life
in the streets while maintaining a defiant, unifying
optimism.
Comprising
rappers Seis (Alfonso García), Arsenal (Luis
E. Bañuelos) and rapper/singer Vane (Arsenal’s
sister Vanessa Bañuelos), L.A.-based La Sinfonia
is also one of the few bands in its genre whose female
member is a true equal. As Arsenal says: “Every single
thing on that album came from all three of us.” They
wrote or co-wrote nearly all of the 15 tracks.
A
David Salas production, El Dolor, La Lucha y El Triunfo
features the single “Inseparable,” a dramatic story-song
about love that transcends life itself.
Though
La Sinfonia formed in 2003, Vane, Arsenal and Seis
have a deep background in music and the music business.
With a group called Los Mafiosos, Seis and Arsenal
had already made their mark in Latin underground hip-hop.
Working their way up from the bottom, they encountered
a maze of false promises, dead ends and deadbeats
(the cut “Respira” tells the story), but their artistry
and drive kept them going.
Meanwhile,
Vane was singing mariachi and banda music and going
through tough times as well: “There were a lot of
men who wanted to take advantage of me, being a woman.
But thanks to my mom, my dad and my brother (Arsenal),
my family was there for me, taking care of me.”
But
one night when Seis and Arsenal were listening to
Vane sing mariachi music at a party, they realized
she could be the missing link. In 2003, they headed
to the studio and things clicked. “I wanted to do
something new,” Vane said.
In
addition to the single “Inseparable,” other standouts
on El Dolor, La Lucha y El Triunfo include “Doble
Filo,” a powerful anthem about being Latino in the
U.S.
“Infiel,”
meanwhile, tells the tale of an affair from two distinct
points of view, and samples ranchera idol Alejandro
Fernández’s “Cómo Quién Pierde
Una Estrella.” Seis says Fernández himself
gave his blessing to the track: “It was a go – le
gustó (he liked it).”
Meanwhile,
a creative take on Juan Gabriel’s “Abrázame
Muy Fuerte” is impressive and uplifting, as La Sinfonia
raps about the physical and emotional sacrifices people
endure to give their family the best. “We heard what
Juan Gabriel was trying to get across to his mom,
and for us it was a way of telling our parents something
we couldn’t tell them face-to-face,” Arsenal says.
Then
there’s “A la Cama,” which means “to the bed” – yes,
its message is just what you think it is. Arsenal,
however, is quick to point out it’s tongue in cheek:
“I don’t want girls to take it bad.”
La
Sinfonia is one of rap music’s most united groups
– the members finish each other’s sentences and talk
openly and appreciatively about each other’s complementary
personalities – Arsenal is laid-back, while Seis says
“I’m more of a perfectionist.” And as a unified group,
La Sinfonia is the perfect band to share a message
of unity with the Latino community.
www.lasinfonia.net
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