With its easy-rolling summer Latin psychedelic-vibes, Jess Sylvester, coasting under the moniker of Marinero, takes us on a lazy sojourn through the streets of Mission District, a neighborhood in San Francisco that was once home to a thriving Latino community. The murals depicting Latin American culture, painted by local artists hint at its vibrant past, one that is rapidly diminishing due to gentrification, meanwhile, the “Hispanic/Latino” population of the Mission continues to drastically decline as rents rise.
Places like La Reyna, seen in the video, opened in 1977 and used to have pinball machines and a jukebox, people stayed to have their coffee and concha, a popular Latino tradition as hinted at throughout the video, especially when Marinero drifts down a psychedelic coloured river in a boat filled with bread. We also glimpse the La Victoria, a Mexican bakery and cafe that opened in 1951, also popular for its pan dulce and conchas. These historic places are all disappearing…
Marinero grew up here but has now moved to Los Angeles. His moniker which means “sailor” in Spanish is also a reflection of his parent’s stories – his father, a sailor, and mother, a Mexican-American who grew up in San Francisco. Nuestra Victoria, also our Song of the Day, is taken from his new album Hella Love (out 21 May) – his goodbye to The Bay.
Pre-Order the album via Bandcamp: https://maringuero.bandcamp.com/album/hella-love
Pre-save: https://marinero.ffm.to/hellalove