Texas Bands Top the First Weekend of the Mexico Showcase at Jazz Fest

El JM y Sus Norteños

Our highlights of the first weekend of the Mexico Showcase at Jazz Fest’s Expedia Cultural Exchange Pavilion Stage.

For me, the Expedia Cultural Exchange Pavilion Stage is often the most exciting one at Jazz Fest because even the most experience festgoers can discover something new there. I make sets there a priority because it’s the only chance I’ll have to see many of these artists. Most of the New Orleans artists will be back next year or the year after, and some of the touring bands will be back soon enough. The international acts from the showcase countries rarely tour the U.S., and many only work in specific regions at home.

This year, Mexico is the showcase country, but on the first weekend, the acts I’m most excited about are based in Texas. Their Mexican heritage is central to their personal and musical identities, but as artists living in the U.S., they’re going represent hybrid identites. It will be interesting to see if that affects how political they become onstage.

A pro tip: many acts will play multiple sets over the course of the weekend including ones at some of the bigger stages. I usually find the vibe and sound to be better in the Cultural Exchange Pavilion tent. People actually dance to dance bands there.

My recommendations are based on my preferences. I usually look for artists that seem to be engaged with the world we live in now. I admire deeply traditional artists that work to preserve the music and culture in its classic forms, but I’d rather hear contemporary artists honor those traditions while finding ways to make them reflect the artists’ lives and the world they live in now.

The list is in order of performance, not preference. 

Mixanteña de Santa Cecilia

Essentially, Mixanteña de Santa Cecilia is a Mexican brass band formed in 2010 with members from Guerrero, Oaxaca, and Mexico City. all over Mexico. 

(Thursday, 12:40 p.m., Expedia Cultural Exchange Pavilion Stage; Friday, 4 p.m., Expedia Cultural Exchange Pavilion Stage; Saturday, 12:35 p.m., Ochsner Children’s Tent; 3:35 p.m., Expedia Cultural Exchange Pavilion Stage; Sunday, 3:35 p.m., Expedia Cultural Exchange Pavilion Stage)

Grupo Fantasma

Grupo Fantasma is a Latin funk band from Austin, Texas in their 25th year. Their funk is real, as their relationship with Prince and cover of “Controversy” will attest. For more, check My Spilt Milk’s interview with Grupo Fantasma.

(Thursday, 2:40 p.m., Congo Square Stage; 4:40 p.m., Expedia Cultural Exchange Pavilion Stage)

El Dusty and the Homies

El Dusty is a DJ and producer from Corpus Christi, Texas who’ll be joined by horns and percussion onstage. For more, check out My Spilt Milk’s interview with El Dusty.

(Thursday, 2:10 p.m., Expedia Cultural Exchange Pavilion Stage; 4:55 p.m., Rhythmporium Stage; Friday, 2:25 p.m., Rhythmporium Stage; 5:15 p.m., Expedia Cultural Exchange Pavilion Stage)

Los Texmaniacs

San Antonio’s Los Texmaniacs are a Conjunto institution, exploring the Tex-Mex identity since 1997. 

(Saturday, 2:20 p.m., Expedia Cultural Exchange Pavilion Stage; 4:20 p.m., Sheraton New Orleans Fais Do-Do Stage)

El JM y Sus Norteños

El JM y Sus Norteños can’t be accused of too much hype. Their Facebook and Instagram pages are focused on new product and not much more. They’re a big band from Veracruz, and they look like a show, complete with matching outfits. Based on their performance videos though, they look like a lot of fun.

(Sunday, 11:30 a.m., Expedia Cultural Exchange Pavilion Stage)

On Monday, April 28, I’ll post my picks for the second weekend. If you want to do your own homework, go to YouTube and check out the artists I haven’t mentioned, or simply swing by and look in on them as you walk by.

I certainly will because almost every year someone who looks good on a video or sounds good on a recording doesn’t translate to the live experience, and someone surprises me with a live experience that I didn’t see coming while doing my homework.