The Cuban Cowboys

In 2000 the Brooklyn outfit known as the Cuban Cowboys coalesced around a fusion of the Pixies, Tom Waits, Los Lobos, and the Buena Vista Social Club that yielded their signature alternative Latin surf rock. Singer-guitarist Jorge Navarro, a Miami native who performs as Hialeah Jorge, assembled the group with guitarist Luca Benedetti, bassist Madelyn Burgess, and drummer Kid Chocolat (later supplanted by Chulito del Fuego). The band quickly became a fixture in New York clubs and placed several tracks on the soundtrack for the independent film Lucha Libre, whose score was written by Benedetti.