Contributed by Liz Lopez
SOURCE: Bandolera Records
San Antonio born and bred, Patricia Vonne has called Texas her home again after living in New York for a number of years. Since her return in 2001, she has lived in Austin and performed internationally. During the time she has lived in the city, she has created her independent label, Bandolera Records, and released five albums. On June 23rd, her new album, Viva Bandolera, will be released. It consists of seventeen tracks including revised versions of Severina and the title track, Viva Bandolera. Vonne will be promoting her album with live CD release gigs in Houston, Austin and San Antonio. Make plans for the Austin party at the Continental Club (1315 S Congress Ave) on Saturday, June 27th, when she appears at 10 p.m. and Rosie Flores takes the stage soon after her performance.
This album is a compilation of Spanish songs from her previous albums that explore her experience as a Tejana. “Growing up as a Tejana, I listened to the diverse music of San Antonio—country, rock, jazz, pop, conjunto and Tejano styles,” she recalled. “When I started writing my own music, which is also a hybrid mix of sound and flavors, I felt a need to preserve and honor the rich cultural heritage of my upbringing.”
Weaved throughout the tracks are several musical artists including Alex Ruiz, Tito Larriva, Michael Ramos, Rick del Castillo, Joe Reyes, and her brother, film director Robert Rodriquez. “This album is special to me because I wanted it to capture my Latina heritage on one disk,” Vonne says. “It’s a big part of my identity and I feel I’ve accomplished what I set out to do. With this album I feel I’ve come full circle as an artist.”
Among the tracks is Traeme Paz, heard in the Robert Rodriguez film, Once Upon A Time In Mexico. Mexicali de Chispa, is co-written with her brother and features Vonne on lead guitar. La Gitana de Triana tells a story of Vonne’s sister and the song captures that passion for flamenco and the haunting magic of the city. Severina was co-written with her brother in memory of their grandmother, Severina Rodriguez. Also on the album is Mujeres Desaparecidas, a song she wrote to bring awareness about the disappearance and death of so many women in Mexico. She has since donated the song to Amnesty International.
You can see this talented artist in 2014’s Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, where she portrays Dallas (aka the Zorro Girl), using much deadlier weapons than her guitar and castanets. This past March during SXSW, Vonne won the Best Female Vocalist title at the Austin Music Awards, as well as an award for her dexterity with her signature instrument, the castanets. The song, El Marinero y La Sirena, is written in collaboration with fellow San Antonian, Michael Martin, and is also on the album. They created a nautical-themed animated video as well. The short, shot and edited by Vonne, was featured at the SXSW Film Festival 2015 and the following month, it won the Audience Award at the Cine Las Americas International Film Festival. For more information, visit www.patriciavonne.com
