iZCALLi cut its teeth playing for solely Spanish-speaking audiences: The band's brother-sister combo of Miguel and Brenda Aviña originally hail from Mexico City. But over the past five years the members of the Denver band have expanded into what they call the "American scene" by playing shows with Colorado bands like Petals Of Spain and The Photo Atlas.
More from OpenAir Sessions:
- Patrick Dethlefs Returns To CPR's OpenAir With 'Beauty In The Unknown'
- Jux County Visits CPR's OpenAir To Play Music From First LP In 15 Years
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iZCALLi visited our CPR Performance Studio to play some music from the album "III" -- in both English and Spanish. The quartet also spoke with Alisha Sweeney about expanding to an English-speaking audience, the family dynamic of the band and recording a public service announcement for the Colorado Department of Transportation.
Stream the session and watch the band perform "Once I Knew Your Name Girl" above.
Interview highlights and more videos:
Guitarist and singer Miguel Aviña on his musical upbringing:
"We grew up in a musician's family. My father has been playing rock 'n' roll since the late '70s. And it was always something that was at the house --whether it was going with him to put up posters in Mexico and promoting his shows, or boxes and equipment coming in on a daily basis."
On writing lyrics in both English and Spanish:
"The music itself will call upon what the language of the song will be. It sounds like a cliche, but the language of music is a universal language. So you can tell many stories with just sound. Adding the lyrics to it is kind of like the icing on the cake. It really decorates the song the way it should be."
Songs performed:
- "Once I Knew Your Name Girl"
- "Solo Se Marir"
- "A New Lie"
- "Esa Forma De Vivir"
"Solo Se Marir"
"A New Lie"
"Esa Forma De Vivir"
