After founding Cascada de Flores in San Francisco in 1999, vocalist Arwen Lawrence and guitarist Jorge Liceaga spent several years gathering songs around Mexico, honing a verdant body of rancheras, boleros, sones and guarachas that embody Mexico’s embrace of sounds from Cuba, Puerto Rico and Colombia. Lawrence fell in love with Mexican music as a young woman and toured with Grammy-winning L.A. mariachi heavyweights Los Camperos de Nati Cano. Liceaga grew up in Mexico City mentored by local legend Leonardo “El León” Salas and the flamencos of Gitanerías, absorbing the passionate energy that defines his responsive and emotionally charged accompaniment. Cascada de Flores distills the essence of this glorious musical tradition, delivering each song as a finely tended blossom.