La Sinfonía

After a four-year hiatus, the members of La Sinfonía are back to prove their best work is still ahead of them.

Previously known as Ill Fame, streetwise MCs Arsenal (Luis E. Bañuelos) and Seis (Alfonso García) recruited Arsenal's little sister, singer Vane (Vanessa Bañuelos) in 2003. Likening their distinctive vocal styles to classical instruments, the group renamed itself La Sinfonía. A year later, the East L.A. trio released its debut, the semi-biographical La Lucha, El Dolor y El Triunfo (The Struggle, The Pain and The Triumph).

Powered by Arsenal's crisp raps, Seis' gravelly flow and Vane's versatile vocals, La Sinfonía soon rose out of the underground. Singles like Inseparable, the Alejandro Fernández-sampling Infiel and the piano-driven ballad Abrázame Muy Fuerte earned the group national recognition.

Earlier this summer, La Sinfonía returned with its self-titled sophomore effort. While other urban regional acts like Akwid and Jae-P zero in on banda, La Sinfonía cleverly infuses R&B, pop and ranchera. Featuring production by The Co-Stars (Teiarra Marie, Jaheim, Chingy), the group's infectious single, No Merezco Tu Perdón (Idiota), channels Joan Sebastian's Un Idiota through a heartfelt tale of domestic hardship and struggle. Arsenal insists it's "feel-good music," before adding: "the whole family can listen to our album."

La Sinfonía is currently opening for Toby Love at select venues across the U.S. The trio's first English-language single, "Lullaby," is now streaming on MySpace.

See: myspace.com/lasinfonia