Austin duo surprise even themselves with the magic that happens when they team up — and the Grammys agree
Then again, surprise twists are part of the group’s DNA. Growing up in Laredo, Texas, Quesada ignored his parents’ music in favor of hip-hop and hair-metal. He moved to Austin to study art in college, playing guitar in a punk-jazz act, the Blue Noise Band, before circling back to Mexican dance music from the Fifties and Sixties. Eventually, he and his group joined forces with another, more funk-oriented local band, the Blimp, to form Grupo Fantasma.
Burton’s story had started across the country, in Los Angeles. Living in a religious household with his mother in the San Fernando Valley, he heard more gospel than pop music. “I grew up kind of sheltered through the church,” he says. “As far as secular music, I just heard what was on the radio while we were doing chores.
Soon enough, the duo had a name, Black Pumas, inspired by Quesada’s fascination with jaguars and a play on the Black Panthers. The moment of creative truth came on stage, when they debuted their act at an Austin club. “I remember telling my wife not to come — give us a few weeks, because it might suck the first couple of times,” Quesada recalls.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
For The Culture: A rise in doulas may save a black mother's lifeNew national studies suggest mothers who use doulas are more likely to have healthier babies and experience fewer birth complications.
Read more »
Marvel Debuts New Ongoing 'Black Widow' ComicMarvel Entertainment is launching a new, ongoing BlackWidow comic book series that same month
Read more »
Civil rights activist, Congressional Black Caucus member Rep. Bobby Rush endorses Bloomberg's White House bidRep. Bobby Rush is endorsing Mike Bloomberg's bid for the Democratic nomination. He is a member of the Congressional Black Caucus and a civil rights activist.
Read more »
Hispanic Miami police captain under fire for claiming he's black due to 'one drop rule'A Miami police officer is sparking outrage after claiming that he identifies as a black man, despite having previously identified himself as a white Hispanic male.
Read more »
Canada, Iran at odds over who should analyze downed plane's black boxesIran and Canada are at odds over who should analyze the black boxes of the Ukrainian airliner which Iran shot down mistakenly earlier this month
Read more »
'Black Lightning' recap: Freeland after the CrisisA lot has happened since we last checked in with Black Lightning — namely, “Crisis on Infinite Earths.” As this…
Read more »