La Santa Cecilia's Musical "Exhaust Valve"
Los Angeles-based Latin pop band La Santa Cecilia recently released a new album, Treinta Dias (Thirty Days). It's all over the genre map – there’s cumbia, reggae, soul, tango and much more. But on the track "El Hielo," La Santa Cecilia enters the world of the protest song. In Spanish, "El Hielo" means "ice," and for many undocumented workers living in the United States, that word carries a double meaning; ICE also stands for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“El Hielo” tells the story of three immigrants living in fear of the law enforcement agency, and for the band La Santa Cecilia, it hits close to home. La Santa Cecilia's lead singer La Marisoul (the stage name of Marisol Hernandez) and accordion/requinto player Jose “Pepe” Carlos talk with Soundcheck producer Katie Bishop about the personal nature of the song -- and about other protest singers who have inspired them.
