Hip Hop Hoodios

Composed entirely of bilingual musicians from Jewish/Latino backgrounds, the members of Hip Hop Hoodios are linked by a common love for Latin alternative music, or rock and rap "en Espanol."

But don't call these guys the Jewish answer to Tenacious D or the Latino respuesta to the Beastie Boys. Hip Hop Hoodios are out to change the notions and preconceptions of Latin music entirely.

The brainchild of Josue Noriega (whose odd family musical lineage includes a grandfather that wrote songs for Frank Sinatra and distant family relationship to Kurt Weill), Hip Hop Hoodios was a concept that first came to mind while he was a sophomore at Cornell University in 1996. Hoodio is a twist on the word "judio," Spanish for "Jew"). —Courtesy Calabash Music

Hip Hop Hoodios features members of major Latin alternative groups including Caifanes/La Barranca, Orixa, and Los Mocosos. Many of the members come from mixed Latino-Jewish backgrounds, with heritage from Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Uruguay.

The band's multi-ethnic background is reflected in the music, which includes a merengue hip-hop version of "Hava Nagila" reworked as 'Havana Nagilah', as well as a reggae/punk version of the sephardic Hanukkah song "Ocho Kandelikas."