For 30 years, East L.A.'s Los Lobos has made a habit of crossing borders. One look through their discography reveals the Latin rock quintet's frequent movement between Mexican folk and American R&B, with regular stops along the Mississippi for funk and blues. Recent albums have even showed a moody, experimental side, but Los Lobos (Spanish for "The Wolves") move fast enough to defy classification. Their latest release, "The Ride," features many of their influences, including Richard Thompson and Tom Waits. Los Lobos' saxophone player and keyboardist Steve Berlin spoke with The Japan Times about the band's 30th year and the new album.
Has the anniversary received a lot of attention?
We've consciously underplayed it. If we harp on it too much, then we're telling the world we've been around too long (laughs). But how many bands create challenging music for 30 years? Most just play their hits for the millionth time . . .