WHEN listening to prog-rock band Coheed and Cambria’s epic sci-fi/fantasyfilled albums, it’s impossible to avoid hearing the musical influences of ’70s rock bands like Rush and King Crimson.
Dig a little deeper though, and you’ll find that there’s another – somewhat surprising – inspiration, as well.
“Latin music is one of the things that my father brought me up on, along with classic rock, blues and jazz,” says lead singer and guitarist Claudio Sanchez, who’s Puerto Rican and Italian.
“Sitting in the car when I was younger, he would throw on the Fania All-Stars or Celia Cruz and I came to like it – it’s a strong influence within me, so there’s definitely an undertone of it within Coheed.” Keeping this in mind, a spin of their most recent album, “Good Apollo,” reveals Latin percussion grooves and guitar parts “very reminiscent of Santana” jump out of the band’s sophomore album, “In Keeping Secrets.” While Sanchez admits that Latin music “doesn’t really play that big of a role in all of our songs, it does have its place on all of our records” – and on his iPod, too, which he’s packed with tunes by musicians like the Spanish Harlem Orchestra and Panamanian vocalist Ruben Blades.
Growing up, the Puerto Rican side of Sanchez’s family was heavily into rock music, not the stereotypical salsa or merengue you’d expect.
As a result, the 28-year old Rockland County native says that he’s “never felt ostracized when it came to being a Latino in the rock world – but I can imagine it being that way for others.” So, when Coheed and Cambria hits New York on Friday and Saturday for their sold-out shows at the Hammerstein Ballroom, Sanchez hopes that he can be a role model for young Latinos who aren’t interested in hip-hop, rap or reggaetón.
“Here I am, this figure inside it,” Sanchez says. “I don’t want to float my own boat, but [his Latino heritage] kind of opens the door for those kids who want to try something different.”
Friday and Saturday, Hammerstein Ballroom, 311 W. 34th St., between Eighth and Ninth avenues, (212) 777-1224. Tickets are $35.
