This is KPBS Midday Edition. After more than 20 years of getting people up on their the to dance, The B-Side Players is an institution. This is Latin global funk with a message. The lyrics can be as powerful as their rhythms. They are releasing the new album this week in, California ground, which tackles issues. Let's start with music by The B-Side Players. Here is border warrior.[ MUSIC ]That was The B-Side Players from the brand-new album, California brown. Carlos does the lead vocals for the group. I will leave it to you to introduce the members of your band.My name is Carlos. I sing vocals. We have Brian Jordan on the guitar and Lopez on the base. We have [ Name indiscernable ] on drums and [ Name indiscernable ] on vocals and [ Name indiscernable ] on percussion and Louis on keys and Mike on the trombone and Reagan on tenor sax and Russ Gonzales on tenor sax.Thank you all for coming in. Our studio is. Thank you for that.Tell us. The B-Side Players has been around more than a generation. You have had 111 music awards. What is it you think appeals to people, so many people for so long ?It is the Bible for us, the number one thing is to create a good vibe and get people on the dance floor and let them express themselves and have a good time. It is important when people see us play that they get loose and forget about the worries and let go and get lost in the music. What is beautiful about The B-Side Players is we do not have age barriers. It is old people and young people. There is hipsters and monsters and it is a good vibe. It is a good vibe.As people are dancing to your man's it, I hear you hit on heavy issues. Is that a way to make the issues more acceptable?That has been my thing, in the background and when people want to get serious and listen to what our message is, they can take the music home and listen to what we are talking about. I like to sing about issues that are important to me and also cultural issues that have to do with growing up in San Diego, California.What inspired the new record, California brown ?It was inspired by culture and I have been spending time -- I have a business and the whole justification of Barry historical places in San Diego. There is a strong culture. I am very proud of the Chicano culture. I am proud to be a part of it and not just the food and the culture but the people and the locals that lived there is is inspirational.Would you play something else for us from California brown ?We will get into a song called Rocky Road, a song about traveling. This is about living life on the road.Thank you. I cannot wait to hear it and thank you for being here.[ MUSIC ]The B-Side Players will perform and hold a record release party for California brown tomorrow night at the music box.
After more than 20 years of getting San Diegans up on their feet to dance, The B-Side Players are a bona-fide musical institution.
The band plays Latin global funk with a message. Their lyrics can be as powerful as their rhythms. The B-Side Player's latest album, “California Brown” hits on themes such as social justice, human rights and Chicano power.
"This record was inspired by not only San Diego culture, but I've been spending a lot of time in Barrio Logan and the whole gentrification of a very historical place in San Diego. There still is a strong culture there, I'm very proud of Chicano culture. I'm very proud to be part of it. And also the people, the locals that live there, it's inspirational to me," said Karlos Paez, vocalist for The B-Side Players.
The B-Side Players stopped by the KPBS Midday Edition studio this week to perform songs from "California Brown." The group, which has won 11 San Diego Music Awards, is holding a record-release party Saturday at the Music Box in Little Italy.
"For us, the number one thing is to create a good vibe and get people on the dance floor. It's important that when people come see us play, that they get a little loose and they forget about the 9-to-5 and they kind of let go and get lost in the music," Paez said.
