Los Californios

"Los Californios," based in San Diego, California, play and sing the music of early California, from the days when our state was part of Spain and later part of Mexico. This sweet, melodic music was played for dancing and singing at the festive fandangos given by the Spanish and Mexican settlers, los californios, who raised cattle on the huge ranchos during their heyday in the 1830s and 1840s.

The music of the Californios includes waltzes and polkas used for dancing, and songs about love and rancho life, often with comic lyrics. The music includes elements of the Spanish music familiar to the original settlers of the Southwest, but also includes influences from European and American folk music, as the coast of Alta California was often visited by trading ships from around the world.

I played violin with Los Californios during the last couple of years that I lived in San Diego (1998-1999) and I'm glad to continue playing the lovely music here in Mendocino Chet Boddy in Calliope Creek.

For more information on Los Californios and to order a copy of their album Flowers of Our Lost Romance, see their web site at: loscalifornios.com

or send e-mail to Loscalifornios@aol.com

Los Californios in 1999, performing at the San Luis Rey mission in Oceanside, California. From left, Janet Martini, Peter Du Bois, David Swarens, Vykki Mende Gray, Janet Ashford

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