As applause echoed around the room, it became clear that despite going elsewhere for no more than two minutes, I had still missed the announcement of the night: “Jenny’s band has just been signed.”

Well, I guess it was bound to happen sooner or later. And when the band launched itself into another song, one could understand why. Effortlessly combining a variety of sounds and taking influences from flamenco, folk, ska and with vocals that drift between languages and styles, Pachucos y la Princesa are a highly original outfit that can keep you grooving all night.

Words: Will Poole
Pics: Will Poole
Film: Infected Media I was one of the lucky few that got to see the band’s first performance in the UK, at the Wonderland festival. Jenny herself is as much a part of this event as the giant mushrooms (I’m talking about the seats, of course) as she has performed there in one way or another for ages, and this year was no different. Back from her travels in Spain, Jenny rocked up with three guys clad in black. The group was made up of two Mexicans, a Spaniard and one girl from south London and their music expressed this. The different styles mixed perfectly to make one hell of cocktail, one best served on a hot day. But hold the little umbrella.



When I next caught up with Jenny and the band it must have been almost six months later. They were back from gigging in Spain for their holidays, so as fast as we could we booked a live performance with them. Shot in what can only be described as the hardest of conditions, we finally managed to crack it. But when writing the feature, one problem we faced was that we didn’t actually know what to call the band, which is rather unusual. You see, they’re originally called Pachucos y la Princesa, but the new record label wants the name changed because people in Britain can’t pronounce it. You have to love our typically British uselessness at other languages.

When we heard that they had been signed we were, of course, extremely happy for them, although maybe a little envious too that someone got to them before our own Acidic Records label was up and running. With their new studio album in the pipeline and loads of live performances coming up they look set to become even more successful, and so I can only hope I that continue to see them pull up at Wonderland in their Volkswagen Camper and piling out with their instruments, roadies and double bass for a long time to come…

If you're going to be in Madrid in the next couple of weeks, you can catch
Pachucos y la Princesa live on these dates:

17 May 2009 21:00
Ave Fenix Madrid, Madrid
24 May 2009 21:00
Ave Fenix Madrid, Madrid

Website: http://www.myspace.com/pachucosylaprincesa