Pieces of hope

Javier Mendoza’s energetic Latin spirit mixes well with upbeat message of faith

By Leah Shover
Adelante Staff Writer

“Matter of Time” Price: $12 + $ 2.50 (shipping) Next Columbia concert: May 5 at The Music Café Time: 10 p.m. Price: $5 www.javiermendozaband.com

Writing lyrics for a new song while enduring three straight days of a 103-degree fever is not the easiest thing to do. But for a singer who has carried on a running lyrical theme of hope through six releases, it seems oddly appropriate. The tenth song on the Javier Mendoza Band’s 2004 album, “Matter of Time,” was inspired by the light-headedness that Mendoza felt.
Sickness and the stress of dealing with the music industry have not weighed down Mendoza’s muse. “Hope is always there, in every lyric. We have to think that way or life would be a horrible experience,” he says.
The message of hope is one reason for the band’s loyal fan base. The Latin tinge of their “transnational pop rock” is another.
Mendoza was born in Virginia and raised in Spain, where he developed a passion for music through playing church songs that his siblings taught him on his father’s guitar. He eventually moved back to the United States to play for St. Louis University’s soccer team. When a torn ACL forced Mendoza off of the soccer field, he began playing music and writing songs. At first Mendoza wrote in English, but a friend convinced him to start writing in Spanish. The product of this advice was Mendoza’s first song, “Despierta” (“Awake”).

Javier Mendoza

Jim Peters

David Karns

Moises Padilla

Since then, the Javier Mendoza Band has matured and changed with each of its releases. The songs on the latest album have more depth, lyrically and emotionally, than previous efforts. The lyrics also explore interesting new themes. “Telesensual,” a song written while Javier was sick, refers to the uncertainty of the human condition. “Teach me not be afraid of my own intentions,” the song says.
The album also explores new orbits in its recording process. The band added more personal flavor to this production because it was recorded in bassist David Karns’s studio.
Through the years, Mendoza has become more comfortable with writing in both languages, a key factor in his evolution as a lyricist.
The band’s audience has grown, and with that has come commercial success. The band has toured cities as large as New York with well-known acts The Roots and ’80s pop stars Duran Duran. In 2003, the band was named the best pop band in St. Louis by the Riverfront Times.
Perhaps one of the most important reasons that fans keep listening is the band’s social commitment. Last year, Mendoza donated the proceeds of “Exhale,” a CD of spiritual songs, to the Washington University Catholic Center. Recently, the group played a benefit concert for a St. Louis food bank.
Fan Jane Downey makes an effort to go to every performance. One of the reasons Downey says she loves the music is each member’s unique influence that melds together perfectly — a music that strays away from the mainstream and keeps it fresh.
“It’s nice to see a talented live band perform whose music isn’t overplayed on the radio,” she says.