Dinner Music: El Chicano
A bit of "brown-eyed soul" for Tuesday
Today, I’m listening to Viva Tirado by El Chicano. They’re referred to as a “brown-eyed soul” group, which is a really specific term for soul music performed by Latinx (mostly Mexican-American, but not exclusively) folks in Southern California, East LA and San Antonio from the 60s-80s.
Viva Tirado, the band’s debut, is another one that crosses a lot of genres — jazz, R&B, funk, rock. It includes a handful of covers of folks like Herbie Hancock and The Beatles and is somewhat similar in style to Santana. To me, it’s a bit more Palm Springs feeling than Santana. The album has a much warmer quality that makes me want to drink a Modelo in the blazing sun (luckily it’s 82 degrees in Austin today).
Viva Tirado - El Chicano
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What I’m pairing with Viva Tirado:
I’m wildly busy this week, so I’m keeping it simple and cooking one of my favorite go-tos — Ginger Fried Rice from NYT Cooking. I’ll often marinade some chicken in a soy-ginger-garlic mixture to add some protein. It’s easy!
Today is national Margarita day. I don’t normally pay much attention to “national X day,” but I will make an exception for a marg. My favorite margarita in Austin is the Blanche at Salty Sow, but I also go all in on any prickly pear marg.
Thank you, love you 💕