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Since 2011 Sin Límite has gone through many iterations and has experimented with different songs and styles. But the group’s distinctive, bluesy flavor of Urban Chicano music with “accordion sauce added” has always maintained a working class spirit at its core. The band’s current lineup features two of its founding members: singer/accordion player Enrique Cardiel and bassist Jeff Sipe (who also gets down on the occasional stomp box). These days they can be seen lighting dance floors on fire across Burque and beyond with guitarist Bill Writ, Ricardo Magallanes (guitar, vocals, jarana, percussion), José Luis Soto (cajon, vocals) and Danny “The Harp” Garcia (guitar, bass, harmonica). You can probably catch the band at some of the city’s most iconic venues — spots with authentic, old-school environments — performing tunes that transport listeners to an era when New Mexicans were experiencing the genesis of the Chicano movement. If you close your eyes and listen carefully to the lyrics, you’ll absorb a message of resistance and liberation. And when you open them up, you’ll see your feet have already begun to move towards the stage, breaking into an involuntary cumbia. You’ve caught the fever, now it’s time to celebrate a new musical evolution of New Mexican multicultural solidarity.
Will you describe your sound for us?
As far as I know, we may be the only group calling our sound “Urban Chicano Accordion.” What we mean by that is we are trying to express Urban Chicano music that includes our connections with traditional (originally rural) Chicano and Mexicano music and also blues, jazz, rock and more. My daughter described it as “Chicano with soul.” We are all a bunch of working-class guys experimenting together for some fun and beautiful music. Some people assume we can’t be sophisticated like jazz, yet jazz is inherently working class music if you study its history. We do classic blues, blues in Spanish and instrumental blues tunes. We also do traditional rancheras, cumbias and boleros.
What are your favorite venues to play and why?
Our favorite venues are places with lots of community. We play bars, restaurants and community events. One of our favorite places is the [Old Town] Gazebo, which is also a center of Chicano history in Albuquerque. Another place that I enjoyed playing was El Madrid. It was a classic barrio Chicano Mexicano bar with the vibe that doesn’t exist much these days.
What are your lyrics about?
Our lyrics are about peace, love, happiness and liberation. Some of the band members are involved in community organizations, and our music includes some international solidarity music like Bella Ciao. We also do Chicano movement music songs like Xicano Mexicano. The words have been rewritten to express current things. Bella Ciao has lyrics about fighting for justice. Xicano Mexicano talks about identity and resistance to assimilation. It seems like the band is in an evolution space right now where we are still a fun band, and we’re stepping up the liberation lyrics and the jazz influence at the same time. Might lead to some interesting changes.
What bands or genres inspire your music?
Genres that inspire us are conjunto, Norteño, country, blues, jazz, Latin jazz, rock and Caribbean music. Bands and musicians that inspire us are Esteban Jordan, Cannonball Adderley, Buddy Guy, Los Relampagos del Norte, Willie Bobo, El Chicano and more.
What is the best show you have ever played and why?
Our best show may have been today [June 1 at the Old Town Gazebo]. There was a nice-sized stage, a great audience and atmosphere, and we tried some new tunes. We love performing for energetic audiences and are working on our first recording this year. We are expanding our cumbias as people like to dance to those.
For tons of video, photos, news, upcoming gigs and more, visit Sin Límite on Facebook.
Check out Sin Límite performing “Negra Tomasa” live at Restaurante Bandito here.
Listen to Sin Límite jamming their take on the blues classic “Chicken Shack” here.
Catch the band doing a stripped down nighttime performance at SWOP here.