Francisco Herrera’s new album, Honor Migrante, is full of songs that reflect his passion for social justice. The themes range from immigrant rights to globalization, and the music itself crosses genre borders from traditional-sounding norteño and corrido tunes to post-modern electro-cumbia and Latin Rock wet with soulful vocals, wailing electric guitars, and a ripping Fender-Rhodes solo. All these sounds are melded smoothly together by veteran super-producer Greg Landau (Maldita Vecindad, Susana Baca) who met Herrera in the late 1980s on the Nueva Cancion circuit.
Francisco Herrera is a cultural worker, a community organizer, singer / songwriter and theologian who has devoted his life to service to his community. His music is a form of public art, sung in churches, plazas, schools, picket lines, meetings and everywhere his songs will provide inspiration and hope. His unique voice captures the essence of “Chicano Soul” that blends the soulful inspiration of rhythm and blues with the earthy ranchero crooners of Mexico. Francisco also has a masters in Theology, which enriches his music as a Liturgical Musician for many types of ritual and has thirty years experience as a performer of children’s music as well.
Francisco Herrera es un trabajador cultural, organizador comunitario, cantautor y teólogo, que ha dedicado su vida al servicio comunitario. Su música es una forma de arte púvlico, presentado en iglesias, plazas, escuelas, acciones cívicas, piqueteos, manifestaciones y en todos lados sus canciones inspiran y dan esperanza. Su voz, única, capta la esencia de “Chicano Soul”, estilo que mezcla la inspiración rítimica de la balada y “rythm and blues” con el sentido de la ranchera mexicana. Francisco tiene una maestría en Teología de la Teológica Jesuita de la Universidad de Santa Clara en Berkeley, CA, la cual enriquece su repertorio musical con canciones de oración y liturgia acompañando diversos tipos de ritos religioses y también cuenta con mas de 30 años presentando música infantil.
Francisco’ newest recording, Honor Migrante, can be previewed at iTunes. Additional information can be found at Francisco Herrera’s web site.