Enanitos at Forefront of Rockeros

Argentina’s veteran rock en espanol trio Enanitos Verdes has become a perennial presence on the Southern California rock en espanol scene.

With its folksy, radio-friendly brand of rock, the 11-year-old Enanitos Verdes (Little Green Men) remains a driving force behind the new breed of rockeros in both style and content.

Enanitos will make their final Southland appearance this year on Thursday at J.C. Fandango in support of their current EMI Latin release, “Guerra Gaucha,” before heading to the recording studio in December under their new label, Polygram.

The Mendoza-based group--Marciano Cantero, vocals and bass; Felipe Staiti, guitars, and Daniel Piccolo, drums--plays straightforward rock with sweeping pop hooks and integrates a world beat.

“Guerra Gaucha” (Gaucho War), the band’s seventh album, follows the trend of many of the hard-hitting rockeros with a strong sociopolitical voice. Lyrically, the band narrates the worsening social conditions for the common man in Latin America, forsaking the love songs that defined its early years.

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* Enanitos Verdes play Thursday at J.C. Fandango, 1086 N. State College Blvd., Anaheim. 8 p.m. $20. (714) 758-1057.