About

UC San Diego Student, Staff, and Faculty event only

Los Angeles-based, Grammy-winning, Mexican-American rock band La Santa Cecilia draws inspiration from all over the world utilizing Pan-American rhythms including cumbia, bossa-nova, rumba, bolero, tango, R&B, jazz, and klezmer music. Named after the patron saint of music, La Santa Cecilia sings with a captivating voice about love, loss, and everyday struggles in both English and Spanish. The band has become the voice of a new bicultural generation in the US and Mexico, fully immersed in modern music, but always close to their Latin American influences and Mexican heritage.

Started in 2007 by lead singer Marisol “La Marisoul” Hernandez, accordionist/requinto player Jose ‘Pepe’ Carlos, percussionist Miguel ‘Oso’ Ramirez, and bassist Alex Bendaña, La Santa Cecilia have performed at just about every type of venue from rock clubs to festivals, including Walt Disney Hall and the Hollywood Bowl in LA.

The group won a Grammy for ‘Best Latin Rock, Urban, Alternative’ Album in 2014 for their album Treinta Días. They were nominated in the same category for their album Benuaventura in 2017 and for Amar Y Vivir in 2018 (all on Rebeleon/Universal Music). With 7 albums under their belt, La Santa Cecilia are currently at work on their 8th album, to be released in 2020.

La Santa Cecilia exemplifies the modern-day creative hybrid of Latin culture, rock, and word music. Their unique sounds and the experience of their colorful, passionate performances captivate both loyal fans and new listeners. They perform over 100 shows a year, have collaborated with artists ranging from Elvis Costello to John Paul Jones, and their music has been featured in movies (Coco, The Book of Life) and television series (Weeds, Entourage*, The Bridge*, and was the theme song for the Netflix series Ingobernable). In 2019, La Marisoul performed at the Joni Mitchell At 75 tribute, in March with the LA Philharmonic at The Work and Music of Yoko Ono tribute concert (both at the Hollywood Bowl), and in November, the group was one of the headliners at Tropicalia festival in LA. La Santa Cecilia released their critically acclaimed 7th album self-titled La Santa Cecilia on October 18, 2019 (Universal/Rebeleon).