Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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Los Lobos Tour Promotes New CD 'The Town And The City'
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?r=279&c=667193&l=1009&ctl=14986F3:A6F02AD83191E160CC60931ADA7EE25A9574F7DCC14957C0 New album marks
return to band's roots





Los LobosTex-Mex rock is alive and well after more than 33 years
thanks to the original sounds of Los Lobos.  The group recently
released their new CD, "The Town And the City", that includes a return
to the experimental sound that earned them three Grammys.  Founding
members Louie Perez and David Hidalgo talked with VOA's Larry London
about their journey.

What is it that compels a band of musicians to remain together for
more than three decades?  I asked that question to two of the men
responsible for starting Los Lobos in East Los Angeles, David Hidalgo
and Louie Perez.







David HidalgoDAVID:"The core of it is friendship.  We have been
friends since high school, and I think [there is] something [special]
about this band that we all believe in and that is why we stick with
it." 

LOUIE:"As much as we might complain about getting up early, flying,
and being away from home, we still have the best job in the world,
really. You cannot beat it.  Being able to go around the world with
your friends, you stay a kid all your life … that is a good gig
[job]."

With 15 albums and three Grammys, the band has secured a place in rock
history.  Did the first Grammy in 1987 change their lives?







Louie PerezLOUIE:"After I won the Grammy, my youngest [child] was just
an infant.  I got home and I walked in the door, and my mother-in-law
was watching my son.  She looked at me and said, "Congratulations!  We
are out of diapers".  So I was at the market pushing a cart [shopping
for diapers] and the family is the equalizer.

What exactly does Los Lobos mean?

DAVID:“It is 'the wolves.'  And the full title of the band was Los
Lobos Del Este De Los Angeles (just another band from East L.A.) but
it was too much for the marquee."

Los Lobos is well received all around the world and Hidalgo is looking
forward to playing for international audiences.

DAVID:"It has been good, you know.  We are starting to go more often. 
We kind of laid off of going overseas for quite a few years, and I
think it kind of was not good for us, actually.  So, we have been
going back, trying to go at least once a year, trying to rebuild the
audience over there (overseas).  It seems to be working."

And after all the years of success, what was the highlight?

LOUIE:"Being able to travel around the world -- for guys from East
L.A. that never went anywhere, and to discover there [are] a lot more
similarities than differences.  I think that is really, it was a real
awakening for me."



Perez says the new CD "The Town And The City" is very personal.

LOUIE:"The idea of the song (is)sort of (a) progression, (it) is of
remembrances about our childhood and our parents.  It is dedicated to
our parents.  We have been a band for 33 years this coming November. 
We are kind of getting to be older guys now.  That funny thing starts
to kick in when you start to think about how things used to be … how
things are a lot nicer when they are simpler.  So this record is about
our experiences growing up, and seeing our parents work hard to try
and provide for us.  The kind of thing that happens everywhere all
over the world."