The combined powers of the moon and sun could not move a mesmerized ACL audience's gaze from Austin's newest titular trio Nemegata.
Voces, the band's second album released Sept. 15 garnered hype for its subversive fusion sound. The group musical mocktail is part cumbia, a teaspoon of post-punk, a dash of psyche rock and put together by the three master mixologists.
When the band took the stage at IHG for the second day of weekend two, a small crowd of Austenite's came to witness Nemegata’s prowess firsthand.
“Feel the calling of the drums?” asked the stars.
It’s almost impossible not to. The band's drummer, Fabian Rincon, might have an invisible second pair of arms and the other two stars are each equipped with a deeply pitched conga on either side of them.
High hats strike at every beat spike the crowd's blood pressure and raise ACLs' collective heartbeat to the dismay of EMS volunteers.
An electric guitar is not uncommon for many Latin bands, but the versatility the 6-string instrument brings to the band can not be understated. Austin’s psyche rock legacy persists with the Andres Cruz frenzied fingers – the funky bass lines from Cesar Valencia propel it to new heights.
If the revolutionary music wasn’t already enough, Nemegatas's strong message attracted attention from the music world.
Behind El Guambito, I nova and Fabian Rincon are the words:
“The Future is our Roots” Or “El Futuro es la Raíz”
Nemegata’s music is a breakthrough in multiple genres, an evolution of Latinx music in Texas. To revolutionize the sound, you have to look towards the past, an idea central to these three pillars of innovation.
“The future of Latinx people is in our roots.”
Nemegata believes that indigenous people are scattered after colonization, and just like a puzzle, a lot of work needs to be done to bring the image of Latinx culture together.
For Austin, Nemegata might just be that missing piece.