NEW YORK, NY. (Top40 Charts/
Chicago Recording Company) - Independent Mexican folk music band Sones de Mexico Ensemble
Chicago is not only living the American dream, but that of countless musicians, young and old, who simply have a deep commitment and love for the pursuit of their creative profession. They just garnered a 2008 GRAMMY Award Nomination for "Esta Tierra Es Tuya (This Land Is Your Land)" in the Best Mexican/Mexican-American Album Category for the upcoming 50th Annual GRAMMY Awards to be broadcast live from the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California, on Sunday, February 10, 2008, 8:00pm (eastern) on CBS.
Few artists not affiliated with a record label achieve a GRAMMY nomination, one of the most coveted recognitions in the music industry. Guidelines for voting members of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (NARAS) specify that they should vote based on music quality alone and not be swayed by an artist's fame or commercial success. Indeed, Sones de Mexico Ensemble's nomination in a category filled with Latin Music superstars; Vicente Fernandez, Pepe Aguilar, Cristian Castro, and Paquita la del Barrio, is a testament to the spirit of this competition and to the exceptional quality of their material. Only three months ago Sones de Mexico Ensemble was recognized with a 2007 Latin GRAMMY Award nomination for Best Folk Album and more recently with a 2007 North American Folk Music & Dance Alliance Award nomination for Best World Music Artist. Juan Dies, the group's producer says "...it is a tribute to our guild. We stand on the shoulders of a rich, and largely unknown, musical tradition."
ESTA TIERRA ES TUYA (This Land Is Your Land) - is an immigrant's musical manifesto which uses over 50 instruments to create all-original arrangements that range from the traditional to the experimental, and from true-to-tradition "huapangos" and "son jarocho" to new hybrids of rock, classical and folk that include Mexican tributes to Woody Guthrie, J.S. Bach and Led Zeppelin. Music Director: Victor Pichardo; Produced by: Juan Dies and Sones de Mexico Ensemble Chicago; Recorded at: Chicago Recording Company (CRC), Chicago, IL; Musicians: Victor Pichardo, Juan Dies, Zacbe Pichardo, Lorena Iniguez, Javier Saume and Juan Rivera.
ABOUT SONES DE MEXICO ENSEMBLE CHICAGO: Sones de Mexico Ensemble Chicago is a premier folk music ensemble specializing in Mexican "son", including the regional styles of "huapango", "gustos", "chilenas", "son jarocho", and more.
The group formed in 1994 to keep the tradition of Mexican "son" alive in its many regional forms. As a performer and recording artist, the ensemble has developed and popularized many original arrangements of Mexican traditional songs. Some of its original work has experimented cross-culturally with symphonic, Irish, folk, C&W, jazz, and rock music, though never abandoning its roots in Mexican "son". The ensemble is also committed to teaching and has a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to music education. All band members reach out to young and old with award winning educational programs nationwide.
For more information, sound clips and high resolution photos visit the Sones de Mexico Ensemble Chicago Website at: http://www.sonesdemexico.com
Sones de Mexico Ensemble is on MySpace at: http://www.myspace.com/sonesmusic and YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/sonesdemexico
