Xenia Rubinos Dishes On Inequality With New Lyric Video
Via THE FADER, Xenia Rubinos has premiered a provocative new lyric video for the track “Mexican Chef” off her new album Black Terry Cat. Pitchfork wrote of the track in their recent album review, which awarded the disc an 8.0, “With its sharp percussion and infectious polemic, it's like M.I.A. signed to Daptone, which is to say that it's a total KO.”
The accompanying lyric video offers a spirited visual homage to Judy Garland’s dance routine from the 1950 film Summer Stock and the "Queen of Latin Soul”, La Lupe’ with Rubinos dancing defiantly before a vivid background as her propulsive funk song details the immense contributions and systemic devaluation of the many laborers of color in America.
As Rubinos says, “In making the lyric video for “Mexican Chef” I took inspiration from two of my all time favorite performers Judy Garland and La Lupe. The set we created is my take on Judy Garland’s performance of “Get Happy” from the 1950 film “Summer Stock”. In that song she’s essentially singing about dying, but she does it in such a joyful over the top song and dance type of way that you might miss it. Known to many as the "Queen of Latin Soul”, La Lupe's performance style carried a lot the same exuberance and tragedy but unlike Judy, she wasn't choreographed or measured. She was a master freestyler who fell into her own flow and let it all go, she was raw magic. Some of my moves in this video are a nod to La Lupe who while performing would often pretend to be washing her clothes, throw off her jewelry, and pull at her shirt collar. There’s something wildly joyful and tragic about both of their performances, they transmit so much soul power.”
Watch Xenia Rubinos “Mexican Chef” lyric video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7u1VAa1HBpM
On her hit album Black Terry Cat, the talented singer-songwriter and multi instrumentalist uses her soulful voice to traverse an array of genres from R&B to Hip-Hop to jazz and beyond, all of delivered with a New York punk-funk abandon. NPR recently included the record in their “Top 30 Favorite Albums of the Year So Far” and the song “Mexican Chef in their “100 Favorite Songs of The Year So Far.”
Raves For Xenia Rubinos Black Terry Cat:
"Consistently challenging and infectious at once, Black Terry Cat is the kind of album that comes along only once in a while, where bold goes down smooth." - Allmusic
"On her knockout second album Black Terry Cat beguiling Brooklyn singer Xenia Rubinos sharpens her knack for nonchalant genre juggling, colliding contemporary R&B, hard funk, and punk into one high-energy blur." - Chicago Reader
"Xenia Rubinos’ second album is a fiery combination of jazz, hip-hop, R&B and punk influences. Think Beyonce’s Lemonade spliced with works of jazz adventurer Esperanza Spalding and a little of Erykah Badu’s neo-soul.” - The Daily Telegraph
“Once Xenia Rubinos begins to sing, nothing else matters” - DIY
"Even a weary plaint has an indomitable spark when New York–based Puerto Rican-Cuban singer-songwriter Xenia Rubinos strolls by. “ - MTV.com
"On Black Terry Cat, Rubinos returns fully formed, with her musical vision still finding ways to meld the unexpected, the familiar and, in songs like "Mexican Chef," the fiercely political.” - NPR All Songs Considered
Xenia Rubinos Fall Tour Dates
8/31 Boston, MA Great Scott
9/1 Burlington, VT ArtsRiot
9/2 Montreal, QC Newspeak
9/3 Toronto, ON The Drake
9/4 Cleveland, OH Beachland Tavern
9/5 Columbus, OH Big Room Bar
9/6 Chicago, IL Empty Bottle
9/7 Cincinnati, OH Ice Cream Factory
9/8 Madison, WI Frequency
9/9 Minneapolis, MN Icehouse
9/10 Grinnell, IA Gardner Lounge
9/11 Denver, CO Moon Room
9/12 Salt Lake City, UT Urban Lounge
9/14 Portland, OR Holocene
9/15 Seattle, WA Barboza
9/17 San Francisco, CA Independent
9/18 Los Angeles, CA Echo
9/20 San Diego, CA Soda
9/21 Tucson, AZ 191 Toole
9/23 Austin, TX The Mohawk
9/24 Mcallen, TX Yerberia Cultura
9/25 Houston, TX White Oak Upstairs
9/26 New Orleans, LA Gasa Gasa
9/27 Atlanta, GA The Earl
9/28 Durham, NC Duke Coffeehouse
9/29 Baltimore, MD Ottobar
9/30 Philadelphia, PA Johnny Brenda's
10/1 New York, NY Mercury Lounge
10/24 London, UK Birthdays
10/27 Manheim, DE Enjoy Jazz Festival @ Alte Feuerwache
10/28 Hambrug, DE Mojo
10/29 Berlin, DE Kantine am Berghain