Cesar Castro: Chicano rock pioneer, founder Cambalache, son jarocho master

Cesar Castro founded the Son Jorocho band Cambalache in 2009 in East LA with Xochi Flores, Chuy Sandoval and Juan Perez. Long before, as a child Castro began studying Son Jarocho, the musical culture of the Veracruz region of Mexico shaped by African and Spanish influences and the fandango celebration.  At age 16 he joined the renowned Son Jorocho band El Grupo Mono Blanco and travelled through Mexico, the United States and Europe.  He also  taught Son Jorocho in Mexico City and Veracruz and in 2001 began working with Chicanos in LA through the binational exchange program, Fandango Sin Fronteras.  In 2003 he moved to LA to teach Son Jarocho and during this time he also was part of Quetzal, one of LA’s cornerstone Chicano bands. He has also produced and hosted radio programming and  written, produced, directed and acted in theater.