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Christmas Jams From Mexico Come Alive In California

NPR | By Betto Arcos
Published December 20, 2013 at 1:15 PM EST
Cambalache performs in the studio at NPR West in Culver City, Calif.
Betto Arcos for NPR
Cambalache performs in the studio at NPR West in Culver City, Calif.

World music DJ Betto Arcos is a frequent guest on All Things Considered and the host of the program Global Village on KPFK in Los Angeles. Cambalache is a Chicano-Jarocho group based in East L.A. that plays a musical style called son jarocho, the traditional roots music in Arcos' home state of Veracruz, Mexico.

This week, the two have converged on NPR's studios in Culver City, Calif., for a special demonstration of Mexico's festive and upbeat Christmas music tradition. Hear Arcos in conversation with host Arun Rath and live performances from the band at the audio link.

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Betto Arcos
Betto Arcos is a freelance music journalist. He writes stories about music from around the world, with an emphasis on Latin America. He has been a contributor to NPR programming since 2009, when he began reviewing music for All Things Considered on the weekends.