La Canción Desde Abajo (The Song from the Bottom) — a Different San Jose Music Scene

Mauricio Díaz peforming at Café Trieste in San Jose.

Music is a cultural byproduct that spreads art, beliefs, values, and the traditions of every nation. It’s a blend of melodies and rhythms with the power to transmit a vivid experience, expressing feelings, ideas, and thoughts.

“La Canción Desde Abajo” (The Song from the Bottom) is a new collective of artists that brings musical life to San Jose and other parts of Northern California. This project aims to promote the work of songwriters and independent artists.

La Oferta interviewed Héctor Nájera, a young Mexican musician with La Canción Desde Abajo. Over the last six months, he saw the need for a place where people could listen to music that dealt with struggles of everyday life. Nájera talked to us about the group’s inception and the participating artists.

Young artist Diana Dameros performs.

“La Canción Desde Abajo was born from different artists. First, I connected with singer-songwriter Alfonzo Maya, originally from Cuernavacas, Mexico, who has performed many times throughout the Bay Area. We got to know each other and became friends after I went to a few of his concerts. One day I wrote to him asking when he would come down to San Jose and proposed to organize a concert. He said yes immediately.”

Nájera then went on to recruit the rest of the group. “With my lack of experience I sought out help. That’s how I contacted Carlos Disdier, concert organizer of ‘Trova’ in San Francisco and leader of La Bohemia, who helped me enormously. I also connected with singer-songwriter Alejandro Chavez who I admire very much. We agreed to the idea of having a series of concerts to reflect on the reality that we live in and to enjoy a bohemian scene,” said Nájera.

One of the things Nájera says the group tries to do is to differentiate La Canción Desde Abajo from other projects. “We want to engage people in singing original songs and give voice to local talent. For example, there are local singer-songwriters now that fuse Funk, Rock, and Jazz, and are breaking the mold of what a ‘Trova’ song is supposed to be. Trova is a traditional music style from Cuba. Nájera says the group is trying to diversify and promote a different type of “Latin American song.”

Ruby Castellanos and Alejandro Chavez singing at a La Canción Desde Abajo (Song from the Bottom) event at Café Trieste.

La Canción Desde Abajo includes innovative artists with engaging personal stories. Alejandro Chavez, just 17-years-old, was moving through Mexico when he discovered that the song was the ticket for his traveling. Since then, he realized that traveling is the spark, the pulse of his verses. His songs are an invitation to dance, to liberate himself from the weight of obligation, to breathe, and to feel alive. Artists like Alfredo Gomez and Alfonzo Maya have been key to making La Canción Desde Abajo a landmark for other artistic scenes.

The group also boasts the participation of Mauricio Diaz “El Huezo,” an explosive jarocho composer. He was born in Puebla, Mexico with a poetic rebellion. His music is a fusion of genres such as Rock, Son Cubano, Brazilian music, Classical music, Rap, Pop, Folk, and Blues, among others.

La Canción Desde Abajo is a non-profit project, highlighting culture with a different focus from the bottom. “Of all of the talent that is close to us, many times we do not hear the reasoning behind the music. The only requirement to be part of us is to like music,” concludes Nájera.

More info:

• Alfonso Maya
• Mauricio Díaz “El Huezo”
• Diana Gameros