Photo Credit: CENTAVRVS
In its 15th year, the Bay View Bash continued to stretch musical boundaries and challenge attendees with an array of performers who are diverse, culturally relevant and political in their messaging.
A prime example was the performance of CENTAVRVS Saturday evening as they closed out the water-logged lineup at the Rush Mor Records stage. Despite consistent downpours throughout the day, the Mexico City quartet garnered a nice crowd, most of whom were experiencing this band for the first time.
With a sound not unlike Ozomatli or early Carlos Santana, the band moved the crowd in ways that the annual street festival doesn't see often. Their mix of traditional Mexican rhythms and more contemporary sounds proved captivating.
When I spoke with Rush Mor co-owner Dan DuChaine, he explained that they sought the band after learning that they were only playing one gig in the United States, last week at Chicago’s World Music Festival in Millennium Park. When their management was initially skeptical, DuChaine and co-owner Bill Rouleau contacted the band directly, emphasizing the importance of spreading their message in the U.S. in the current political climate. Where the band’s music is political and carries a socially conscious message, it is also inviting and accessible.
According to DuChaine, “It’s emotionally dense music which wraps itself around you like a blanket.” While their recorded work seems more condensed, their live set was much more improvised and open.
At a time when America’s leadership is doing all it can to prevent others from gaining access to our country, DuChaine and Rouleau felt there was no better time for a band from Mexico to represent their culture in America. As a result, CENTAVRVS felt empowered and agreed to perform.
DuChaine ended our conversation with the Spanish phrase “Nuestra sangre es igual." We all bleed the same.
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Tom Matthews led Milwaukee’s metal, hip-hop ensemble Down by Law.
