Gothic Theatre
La Sinfonia
Comprising rappers Seis (Alfonso García), Arsenal (Luis E. Bañuelos) and rapper/singer Vane (Arsenal’s sister Vanessa Bañuelos), L.A.-based La Sinfonia is also one of the few bands in its genre whose female member is a true equal. As Arsenal says: “Every single thing on that album came from all three of us.” They wrote or co-wrote nearly all of the 15 tracks. A David Salas production, El Dolor, La Lucha y El Triunfo features the single “Inseparable,” a dramatic story-song about love that transcends life itself. Though La Sinfonia formed in 2003, Vane, Arsenal and Seis have a deep background in music and the music business. With a group called Los Mafiosos, Seis and Arsenal had already made their mark in Latin underground hip-hop. Working their way up from the bottom, they encountered a maze of false promises, dead ends and deadbeats (the cut “Respira” tells the story), but their artistry and drive kept them going. Meanwhile, Vane was singing mariachi and banda music and going through tough times as well: “There were a lot of men who wanted to take advantage of me, being a woman. But thanks to my mom, my dad and my brother (Arsenal), my family was there for me, taking care of me.” But one night when Seis and Arsenal were listening to Vane sing mariachi music at a party, they realized she could be the missing link. In 2003, they headed to the studio and things clicked. “I wanted to do something new,” Vane said. In addition to the single “Inseparable,” other standouts on El Dolor, La Lucha y El Triunfo include “Doble Filo,” a powerful anthem about being Latino in the U.S. La Sinfonia is one of rap music’s most united groups—the members finish each other’s sentences and talk openly and appreciatively about each other’s complementary personalities—Arsenal is laid-back, while Seis says “I’m more of a perfectionist.” And as a unified group, La Sinfonia is the perfect band to share a message of unity with the Latino community.
