Jenny and the Mexicats in Berkeley: 2023
Jenny and the Mexicats create music that defies easy categorization. The quartet formed in Madrid when English singer Jenny Ball met three Mexican musicians, and their sound blends flamenco, cumbia, folk, jazz, and rock into something distinctly their own. Their Berkeley performance showed how cultural fusion creates vitality when approached with skill and respect.
The International Formation
The band's origin story informs their music. Jenny Ball from England, David Gonzalez (doublebass), Luis Verde (guitar), and Icho Gonzalez (percussion and trumpet) from Mexico met in Spain and found common ground through musical curiosity rather than shared background.
That cultural mix creates interesting tensions and resolutions in their music. Flamenco's passionate intensity, cumbia's infectious rhythms, folk's storytelling, and jazz's improvisational spirit combine because the musicians genuinely love all these traditions.
The Acoustic Approach
Jenny and the Mexicats use minimal amplification, letting acoustic instruments create their sound. The double bass provides rhythmic foundation, flamenco guitar adds percussive drive and melodic color, and trumpet punctuates arrangements while Jenny's voice ties everything together.
This acoustic approach creates intimacy that electric amplification can lose. You hear wood resonating, fingers on strings, breath through trumpet. The organic quality suits their folk-rooted music.
Jenny Ball's Voice
Ball sings in English and Spanish, her voice warm and expressive without excessive ornamentation. She understands that serving the song matters more than showcasing vocal range. Her phrasing incorporates jazz sensibility, flamenco passion, and folk directness.
The bilingual approach expands their audience while respecting both linguistic traditions. The songs work in either language because the emotion transcends words.
Flamenco Fusion
Incorporating flamenco into cross-cultural music requires understanding what makes it flamenco beyond surface aesthetics. The rhythmic complexity (compás), the relationship between guitar and percussion, and the emotional intensity all must be present or it becomes mere pastiche.
Jenny and the Mexicats get it right because David Gonzalez brings genuine flamenco knowledge. The flamenco elements feel organic rather than appropriated.
Latin Rhythms
The cumbia, son jarocho, and other Latin American rhythms in their music connect to Mexican roots while finding fresh contexts. These aren't traditional interpretations; they're contemporary explorations honoring tradition.
This approach continues Latin music's history of evolution through cultural exchange. Cumbia itself traveled from Colombia throughout Latin America, changing as it moved. Jenny and the Mexicats participate in that ongoing transformation.
The Berkeley Audience
Bay Area audiences embrace world music and cross-cultural collaboration. Berkeley specifically has long history of supporting international artists and fusion projects. Jenny and the Mexicats found receptive crowd understanding what they're attempting.
The Verdict
Jenny and the Mexicats in Berkeley demonstrated how cultural fusion creates vital music when approached with skill and respect. Their performance combined technical ability, cultural knowledge, and genuine joy in making music together.
If you appreciate music that crosses cultural boundaries thoughtfully, if acoustic instrumentation appeals to you, if flamenco, cumbia, and folk fusion sounds intriguing, they deliver with authenticity and charm.