Carne Cruda: Bio
Carne Cruda
Check out the Carne Cruda Video.
Raw and ready to rock, Carne Cruda hits the scene hard with the unbridled energy of the rowdiest latin music. Blending Surf with Cumbia, Son with Soca, and traditional with indie, the Carne Crudeboys (and Crudegirl) are a plastic flamingo on the neatly kempt lawn of Salsa music, jumping and shouting all over the tennis courts of the Latin traditionalists. When the Buena Vista Social Club gets Red Hot Chili Pepper-ified and They Might Be Giants eat Willie Colon, you know Carne Cruda is rocking the house. Produced by four-time Grammy-nominated producer Greg Landau (Susana Baca, Maldita Vecindad), don't miss Carne Cruda.
Carne Cruda is a Latin and Caribbean dance band from Oakland, California specializing in rocking down global capitalism by playing booty-shaking grooves to move your feet to.
Just back from a triumphant European tour, Carne Cruda, Latin booty-shaking band extraordinaire, is ready to rock over your town. With their debut CD, Spicy Sea Adventures, Carne Cruda throws itself into the forefront of Latin-Alternative music. But you don’t have to know how to Salsa to shake your ass to Carne Cruda’s raw, no-holds-barred Caribbean dance beats; all you need is a pulse and butt to wiggle.
This dynamic five piece band from the San Francisco Bay Area brings a new sound to Latin music, incorporating a wide array of influences into one hard-hitting raw sound. Exemplary musicianship is melded with high energy, unbridled enthusiasm, and youthful vigor to produce an exciting, captivating show that leaves no butt un-shaken. With lyrics that reflect current issues facing today’s youth in English and Spanish, Carne Cruda combines socially relevant themes with interesting musical statements. And if you're looking for a great song about Oakland, look no further. One thing for sure- with Carne Cruda, it’s a party every time.
Here at Carne Cruda, we feel that playing booty-shaking Latin and Caribbean music is far superior to working for The Man. Our roster of Capitalism-smashers includes:
Camilo Landau - Guitar, tres, vocals
Camilo Landau began playing guitar and tres at the age of twelve when his uncle Greg Landau returned from Nicaragua and taught him. During his studies of music and film at School of the Arts in San Francisco under the direction of Wayne Wallace and Malecio Magdaluyo, Camilo performed with Carlos Santana at the age of sixteen. He studied guitar and tres in Cuba with Gorge “Chino” Triana and Palo de Mayo styles in Nicaragua with Philip Montavalo. While attending the University of California, Santa Cruz, he started a Latin and Caribbean band, Carne Cruda, and played in the UCSC Jazz Ensembles with trumpeter Ray Brown, and he graduated with a degree in Community Studies and a minor in Music. Camilo lives in a warehouse in East Oakland and plays with Dr. Loco’s Rockin’ Jalapeño Band, LaTiDo, AguaLibre, Santero, Carne Cruda, and more.
Charlie Gurke - Baritone Saxophone, Keyboards
Charlie Gurke plays the baritone saxophone and melodica in Carne Cruda, being sure to take it out. Doubling basslines and inventing mambos, Gurke is always sure to stick it to the man.
"On the island of a thousand bridges, where the three eyed fish swim in the shadows of tall ships, and much was lost to the world, sprung a hero. A ninja among men, a lover among ninjas, a rockstar among lovers, a man among rockstars and a ninja among men. They call him...
Charliesan."
-Cara Defabio
Bio
Charles Landis Gurke, AKA Carlheinz McGurkenhousen, AKA Chuck G. was born in Oakland, California to Captain and Mrs. Gurke at the beginning of that turmultuous decade known as the eighties. He began playing the alto saxophone in middle school on the Pacific island of Alameda, but soon enough switched his attnetion to the much more earth-shaking saxophone known as the baritone. Attending San Francisco School of the Arts High School with Carne Cruda guitarist Camilo Landau, Gurke played in many Bay Area groups including ska bands Bluebeat Stompers and The Ska Messengers, as well as renowned salsa band Mazacote. For two years he studied Jazz at The New School in New York, and then returned to join Carne Cruda and complete a degree in Spanish from Vista College. Charlie Gurke is one of the most sought-after baritone saxiphonists in the San Francisco Bay Area, playing with such groups as Vission Latina, Orchesta Sensual, Space Invaders Saxophone Quartet, and Dr. Loco's Rockin' Jalapeño Band.
Luke Kirley - Trombone, tuba, guiro
Luke Kirley plays the disrespectfull trombone and tuba with güiro attatchment to give Carne Cruda that nasty, teeth-grinding sound.
Bio
Luke Kirley comes from a long line of plumbers. Maybe that explains why he plays the trombone or maybe that just explains his affinity for crawling around under houses. Anyway, Luke started his musical education at Sir Francis Drake High School, the Alma Mater of Terry Bozzio, under the direction of Phil Wood (the other Phil Wood). He soon began studying privately with trombonist extraordinaire John Gove who would show Luke the extensive possible uses of the trombone in the exciting new musical genre, Woodchuck. It being the 90’s and all, Luke was roped into a Ska band, Focus, which he enjoyed very much but wished the other members of the band were as good at getting gigs as they were at getting chicks. Fortunately, Luke began playing Avant-Garde music early in his musical experience, which gave him a high tolerance for dealing with crazy people. After high school, Luke attended the University of California, Santa Cruz where he studied jazz with Smith Dobson and Ray Brown (the other Ray Brown) and classical trombone with Tom Hornig and Wayne Solomon. While attending UCSC, Luke performed extensively with the University Orchestra, Jazz ensembles, chamber groups, and Wind Ensemble that he performed with at Carnegie Hall in May of 2001. Luke was also very active in the extra-curricular music scene of Santa Cruz performing with Cabrillo Stage under the direction of Lile Cruise, the Robin Anderson Big Band, numerous pit Orchestras and Jazz combos, and recording with the eccentric visionaries, Estradasphere. It was in Santa Cruz that Luke was hoodwinked into playing booty shaking Latin Jazz and Caribbean music with Carne Cruda. Luke blames Charlie and Camilo for his eminent hearing loss due to playing Salsa. If it wasn’t for them he’d probably be happy somewhere listening to 20th century art music at a reasonable level but instead he is active on the San Francisco Salsa scene playing with Avance, Orq. La Verdad, Cubanacan, Tito y su Son, and others. You can also find Luke rockin’ out with the SV House Rockers and Dr. Loco’s Rockin’ Jalapeno Band. If you like a big bottom, and who doesn’t, you might want to check out Luke playing tuba with either the Gomorran Social Aide and Pleasure Club or the Los Surf Cumbieros.
Ayla Davila - bass
Ayla Davila plays rocking bass and clarinet for Carne Cruda, controlling the low end to cause the bottom to shake. After spending several years in Boston she's returned to the Bay Area to rock over it.
Bio
Ayla Davila, from Berkeley, California, grew up among a plethora of musical influences. As a kid she was one of the original members of "Los Centzotles," the renowned Son Jarocho group playing jarrana and requinto, and she later went on to take up the bass. She studied at the prestigeous Berkelee School of Music in Boston where she refined her floor-rumbling and chord-grounding skills, and after graduating with a degree in Film Scoring she returned to the San Francisco Bay Area to play with a veritable gaggle of artists and bands, including Bobi Cespedes, Los Mocosos, Dr. Loco's Rockin' Jalapeño Band, and Carne Cruda.
David Flores - Drums
Drummer, percussionist & educator. For over 13 years David has shared his passion for music with elementary, high school and adult students. Not only has David had the opportunity to perform internationally, he has shared the stage with San Franciscos foremost musicians including Mark Levine, Orestes Vilato, Jesus Diaz, John Santos, Peter Erskine, Mary Wells and Pete Escovedo. Constantly inspired by the talent that surrounds him, he continues to flourish, create and share his love of music.
