City College’s Spring Concert Series continued on Feb. 2 as Cantua, a Latin rock band, filled the Gorton Quad with their distinctive sound.
Sponsored by Black Cherry Productions and Associated Students, the concert series will run through May, including a broad musical spectrum from punk rock to blues. Each group brings with them to the stage not only their instruments, but a style and culture as unique as their particular music genre.
With most of their songs being in Spanish, Cantua was unambiguously a rock band with Latin roots. This was further evidenced by a tamales vendor and salsa dancer on site.
That being said, Cantua did cross the cultural divide by virtue of a few songs. One such song was Bob Marley’s classic, “Get Up, Stand Up.” Sensing a lull in the audience as the day wore on, Cantua’s lead started the audience clapping as he covered the iconic song, thus bringing new life to the atmosphere.
With their “pretty good music,” and their being “pretty politically conscious,” student Sidney Martinez felt Cantua had brought the campus some much needed cultural and political awareness. Martinez was by no means alone in his praise of the band.
“[It’s] too bad more people aren’t jumping in and dancing,” said one student, Teresa Bolaños, as she watched the performance. As one of her classes had been canceled, leaving her with a three-hour break, Bolaños was “glad there’s something to keep me entertained.”
However, for some, Cantua’s performance was less a convenience but was welcome, all the same.
“These guys are doing a good job,” said one John Bothwell as he took in the show. “They make me want to be in a band again … I just like music on campus.”
Be it because of their political and social consciousness, their inherent value as entertainment, or just due to the tamales being offered, Cantua had brought the Gorton Quad to life for a few hours on a Wednesday. The show brought relief to stressed students in the middle of the week.
With more shows to follow, Associated Students’ Spring Concert Series should bring some musical relief to more students lost in the malaise of a new semester.
