Episode Summary

Hector Flores of Las Cafeteras joins Steve to talk about Hasta La Muerte, the group’s Day of the Dead production arriving at SFJAZZ. He traces the band’s East L.A. activist roots, how son jarocho meets hip-hop and spoken word, and why participation—dancing, singing, dressing up—turns a concert into a communal ritual. Hector shares how Cocosparked a new wave of writing, why La Catrina becomes “La Santa de los Muertos,” and how a reimagined La Llorona story reframes grief as love.

Hector Flores — vocalist, writer/poet, co-founder of Las Cafeteras (East L.A.). Community organizer turned bandleader; bridges traditional son jarocho with hip-hop cadence, dance, and poetry.

• Activist beginnings in East L.A. and how a collective became a band

• The sonic palette: jarana, requinto, leona, Afro-Colombian percussion, Indigenous drums, and tasteful electronics

• Writing from lived experience: poems that become songs and stage narratives

• Hasta La Muerte onstage: five dancers, four musicians, vivid visuals, and storytelling through music and movement

• Reimagining icons: La Catrina as La Santa de los Muertos; a compassionate retelling of La Llorona

• Why audience participation matters: “come in costume,” sing, and dance—treat the hall like a plaza

• Limited-run vinyl at the merch table (cast and crew-signed)

• What’s next for the production beyond the West Coast

Hasta La Muerte — Las Cafeteras
Date: Friday, October 31
Venue: Miner Auditorium, SFJAZZ Center, 201 Franklin St., San Francisco
Showtime: 7:30 PM PT • Tickets via SFJAZZ. sfjazz.org

• Las Cafeteras (official): https://lascafeteras.com

• Hasta La Muerte (about): https://lascafeteras.com/hasta-la-muerte

• Las Cafeteras on Instagram: https://instagram.com/lascafeteras

• Tickets (SFJAZZ): https://www.sfjazz.org/tickets/productions/25-26/las-cafeteras-hasta-la-muerte/ sfjazz.org

• Backstage Bay Area: https://www.backstagebayarea.com

• “Hasta la Muerte” (official performance clip) — embed or link from Las Cafeteras’ channel

• “Esta Noche” — sample the group’s energy and instrumentation

Host & Producer: Steve Roby — Backstage Bay Area
Guest: Hector Flores (Las Cafeteras)
Editing/Mix: Backstage Bay Area
Music used with permission of the artist.

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