If nothing else, hearing salsa versions of their favorite songs might induce indie rock fans to actually dance, instead of just staring at their feet or bobbing their heads.
Led by bandleader and arranger Gianni Mano, who founded the project in 2009, the orchestra adds style to the songs they cover, like when the group transforms the scuzzy fuzz of Japanther's "Challenge" into an uptempo ditty or singer Solange Prat makes the nonsensical lyrics of Ricked Up's "Black Albino Bones” seem magical. In the case of the 11-piece Williamsburg Salsa Orchestra, which performs salsa dura and Latin-influenced arrangements of popular indie rock songs, it means taking the already danceable hits of Santigold, LCD Soundsystem, Yeasayer, and Arcade Fire and making 'em intoxicating and torrid numbers filled with horns, strings, Afro-Cuban grooves, and plenty of verve. One of the tenets of remix culture is taking things that were fantastic to begin with and rearranging, repurposing, and reworking them to create something even better. Chris GrayĬourtesy of Tempe Center for the Arts Williamsburg Salsa Orchestra The newest is entitled “Choice Cuts!” and features a variety of hits from Frank’s legendary discography. And one of the cats keeping Frank’s laser-brained legacy alive is the one man who knows his dad’s music better than anyone (except perhaps one person), his eldest son, Dweezil.ĭespite an ongoing feud with brother Ahmet over who owns the trademark to the copyrighted terms “Zappa” and “Frank Zappa” - prompting the name of Dweezil’s group to revert from Zappa Plays Zappa to his own name - Dweezil is forging ahead with his tours celebrating his dad’s music. No matter the electric free-jazz mania of Hot Rats or dead-on ‘80s satire of “Valley Girl,” his spiritual influence far outpaced his commercial impact. The music of Frank Zappa, whose gonzo brand of rock kept it weird when that phrase really meant something, was so far ahead of its time it’s still an acquired taste. Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts
Björn Söderqvist/CC BY-SA 2.0/via Flickr Dweezil Zappa
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