New Music from Latin America
Translated by Megan Edgerton.
In terms of the genre, I want to maintain a casual, but informed register as you would expect to see in a music review magazine or journal. I will do this by utilizing musical terminology where it is possible and a professional but casual tone, especially in the descriptions, verbs, and transitions that could use a boost.
Source texts: “Se avecina tormenta, Doma Tornados”, “Ximena Sariñana: Actriz y cantante nada ‘Mediocre'”, and “Entrevista – Todos Tus Muertos”.
“Monte Negro: Two languages, One ‘Cicatrix’”
Every once in awhile, you’ll stumble upon a band that stands out among the rest. In this case, they’re called Monte Negro. With their first LP, Cicatrix, Monte Negro offers an impressive mix of what truly represents the “Alterlatino” rock scene.
Confining Monte Negro to a specific genre is debatable ; Kinski, the vocalist of the group, jumps from Spanish to English as if they were the same language, leaving the listener wondering whether to classify it as “rock” or “Spanish rock” . The hybridity of their music is clear to see in their first single, “Give me Love (no Llores).” It exhibits a reggae rhythm carried in the guitar line while simultaneously incorporating lyrics that could be confused for those of a rock ballad by Poison or Whitesnake.
On a Monday night, I was lucky enough to witness Monte Negro play a set in the basement of a bar in New York. The room is nearly empty , filled with only the hum of casual conversation and no more than eight people anxiously awaiting the arrival of the quartet. But just ten minutes before the show starts, the venue is filled from wall to wall with rowdy fans. Things are looking good for Monte Negro given their undeniably strong following .
The crowd’s reaction alone is proof that their music is anything but mediocre . As soon as they take the small stage , jumping, clapping, and sweating ensues, and Monte Negro manages to turn this hole-in-the-wall basement venue into a full-fledged rock show . Among the songs from their album, Monte Negro slips in a cover of “Break on Through” by the Doors; nonetheless, their potential clearly stands out in songs like “Pena Colectiva”, “Give me Love (No llores)”, and “Arde el Corazón (Triangled Love)”.
Many of these songs are available for streaming on their Myspace : http://www.myspace.com/montenegrorocks
“An Imminent Storm: Doma Tornados”
Zigor Cavero
Unafraid to put a fresh spin on his South American heritage, up-and-coming artist Doma Tornados has arranged the perfect musical balance between the traditional and the avant-garde. He’s not to be underestimated, despite the region’s unfamiliarity with his take on electronic music. Doma Tornados’s prowess lies in his creative ability to fuse regional music styles, such as his crossbreed of cante jondo and bajos gordos.
Guillermo Piacenza, the man behind Doma Tornados, keeps a busy schedule juggling two other side projects, TANOX (http://www.myspace.com/tanoxmusic) and Guillermo Piacenza (http://www.myspace.com/guillermopiacenza). But other aliases aside , we’re most interested in Doma Tornados, the project in which Piacenza mixes native rhythms (focusing mainly on cumbia but without dismissing funk, champeta, or malambo ) with digital genius , dressing up his creation with imported styles (house, minimal techno) and bringing it to life with lots of dub spirit.
Although Doma Tornados is yet to have a record hit stores – he’s on the verge of releasing his debut on his netlabel, Hipi Duki Muzik– he has already received tons of praise for his musical achievements .
All this said, the best thing to do is to check out Doma Tornados for yourself. When, you may ask? His next appearance is October 10th at Le Rock Party in Barcelona , but he can regularly be caught opening for The Peronists as well as playing percussion for MeNeO in clubs across the city .
“Ximena Sariñana: An actress and singer far from Mediocre”
With a broad range of influences from Fiona Apple to Bjork, it’s hard to know what to expect from young Ximena Sariñana . Her debut album, Mediocre, is critically acclaimed in México and is currently taking over charts in the U.S. at record speed.
Generally speaking, Sariñana’s music can be described as a fusion of jazz, rock, and pop. Regardless of a relatively fixed style, each song bears something unique; the opening title track, “Mediocre,” is so unforeseen it is hard to compare it to the rest of the album. As the album progresses, Sariñana continues to keep listeners on the edge of their seats, especially with the singles, “Normal” and “No Vuelvo Más.”
Despite the fact that she only recently completed her first album, Sariñana has been deeply involved in entertainment since childhood. Her parents, both professionals in the television and film industries in Mexico, introduced her to the business as a young girl. In 1994, Sariñana’s acting career launched with her appearance in Hasta Morir, a film produced by her father. Soon after in 1996, she starred in the soap opera, Luz Clarita. During this time, her music career began with her recording of the theme song for the program. From then on, Sariñana has continued to contribute to the soundtracks of programs and movies that she has appeared in.
If anyone can do it, Sariñana can. Having composed majority of the songs from Mediocre, she’s undeniably armed with compositional and vocal talent that will help her rise to the top of the Latin American alternative scene.
“An Interview with Todos Tus Muertos”
Recently, Spinner was fortunate enough to get ahold of Félix Gutiérrez, the bassist of Todos Tus Muertos, in Argentina via e-mail .
Many groups have recognized Todos Tus Muertos as having a significant influence on their music. What bands have inspired Todos Tus Muertos?
There are lots; we could say that at first it was music from groups like Bauhaus, Crass, The Clash, Dead Kennedys, Stiff Little Fingers…At the same time we were listening to Bob Marley, Rubén Blades, Hector Lavoe, Armando Hernández, The Specials, and with time the list branched out to include hip hop, Los Tigres del Norte…it keeps growing everyday.
An emphasis on peace and justice resonates in the majority of your songs. Do you write each song with reggae or punk in mind?
We like to create a mix of everything that we listen to, but more than anything we mix those [styles] that you mentioned. But we also have a Latin vibe…and even in early songs like “El Tango Traidor,” you can hear our attempts to create a tango-funky-punk.
As a group, you’ve been playing together for quite awhile. What would you say is the difference from being a musical group in the 90s? Do you think listeners have changed much, specifically as a result of the war, the economy, or the environment? Does this affect the way they think and receive the TTM’s messages?
Yeah, there were a lot more people involved in the scene in the 90s. [Back then] It was more underground, but it eventually blew up.
Your latest album, Greatest Hits, recently hit shelves in the U.S. Would you consider going on a U.S. tour? You’ve had a following there for years.
For sure, we’d like to play there. We’re working on it, but it’s gotten a bit hard for us living on this side of the border; it’s getting stricter everyday.
Lastly, do you have any plans for another record?
Of course! We’ve got ten new songs that we occasionally throw into our shows. They’ll all be a part of our next album.
