Fuga!: The name means “flight” or “escape,” another way of saying go, you must leave now. This sense of urgency is reflected in the band's tales of migration and survival, set to the rapid-fire beat of borderlands and beyond. In 2005 Fuga! arrived in Oakland from the El Paso-Ciudad Juárez area, where the band’s members cut their teeth playing ska and punk blended with Mexican rhythms (cumbias, rancheras, and the more "traditional" son jarocho) at immigrants'-rights rallies and community gatherings. While they remain committed to social justice, their sound evolved to reflect the “international vibe," more pan-Latino in nature, of their adopted home, accordionist Kiko Rodríguez-Glenn says: “Hanging out with the Brazilians, Cubanos, and Colombianos jump-started our new sound, and we changed our style to fit in with them.” Certainly, you’ll find the Bay Area’s influences in a fat, funky bass line, the roll of the congas, and in the diversity of their audience. Tonight’s performance — Fuga's final show as a local band — welcomes a new album, Relatos Rebeldes (Rebel Stories), and launches a three-month tour that will end in central Mexico.
Fri., Jan. 30, 9 p.m., 2009
