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Profile: Julieta Venegas helps the rest of us live our ‘momentos’

October 25, 2013 By Isabela Raygoza

Juliete Venegas
Julieta Venegas

“Por más que dejemos que cosas ajenas o extrañas a nosotros decidan las cosas que hacemos o no hacemos, nunca hay que dejar que el miedo nos detenga de hacer algo que queremos hacer,” declares Julieta Venegas right before playing the keys to “Vuelve” at New York City’s Irving Plaza. This is a heartfelt ballad off her new 2013 album Los Momentos, and an ode to her beloved Mexico, but to others, unfortunately, a fear of the unknown and misunderstood. This is also a song in the album that is accompanied by French-Chilean poetess Ana Tijoux and Mexico’s icon Rubén Albarrán of Café Tacvba. These three masters of song complete the message of not letting one be fooled by panic and its greatness. The above statement sums up Julieta’s fierceness and perseverance as a comprehensive artist. However, throughout her twenty-year music career, Julieta has in fact been many things to her followers: an emo-punk rocker, a songstress with a cult following, a critic’s darling, a countercultural singer-songwriter gone way too pop, an MTV/Latin Grammy/Grammy winner, and a sophisticated, multi-dimensional musician. She has also been another thing: misunderstood.

A Blossoming Julieta: From Classical Music to Songwriting

Born Julieta Venegas Percevault in the city of Long Beach, California, she is the spawn of Tijuana, Mexico, where she spent her childhood years to early adulthood. But for nearly twenty years, Julieta has been living in Mexico City, and maybe she never thought she would settle there when she began making music in Tijuana.

At 8 years old, Julieta began to develop her own identity via the piano. She is a twin so in a way, it was her approach seek out her own individuality from a “chaotic family” of five siblings and photographers. “I found a sort of refuge having and playing the piano to myself,” she tells Austin Vida. From the moment she laid fingers on the keys Julieta knew that she was destined for a life in music. She recalls, “My wish was to study classical piano in a conservatory, and eventually, become an orchestra director.” Later, when Julieta reached her teenage years, she started composing original songs.

Consequently, she began to lose interest in classical music when her high school friend invited her to play in his band called Chantaje (meaning blackmail) in the early nineties. “There, I discovered a different direction in music: songwriting, performing onstage, and improvising. [Chantaje] opened up another door for me and that’s when I realized I didn’t really want to pursue classical music.” For the next two years, she remained a prominent figure of the group, until Chantaje transitioned into the social-politically outspoken band Tijuana No!

On the Edge: Punk Rocker to Pop Princess

By many, Tijuana No! was considered one of the most notorious punk-ska bands of its time in the north of Mexico. Julieta toured with her new-named band for a short while, but sought another outlet. “I felt that I was very personal when it came to writing and [Tijuana No!] wasn’t really into personal writing. They wanted to do political stuff and I wanted to do something else. Since they were going to record an album, I thought it’d be better for me to leave the band,” she tells us. Shortly after, Julieta traveled to Mexico City for a vacation trip and settled there. She describes, “It’s a crazy city, a metropolis in every sense, which is basically everything I’m attracted to.” There she found a new music hub and befriended fellow musicians from Café Tacvba to Fratta who helped her kick start her career. Consequently, she released her solo debut Aquí (1997), produced by the Argentinian music guru Gustavo Santoalalla, which brought her a cult following throughout the country. Three years later, she dropped the also Santaolalla-produced Bueninvento, an album so praised in the indie Latin alternative scene that made her the mistress of it. Later, when Sí and Limón y Sal came along in the mid 2000s, now produced by Argentina’s Cachorro López, Julieta found enormous success unlikely for an artist of her background.

Going Mainstream Yet Misunderstood

As an artist with her remarkable songwriting skills, gorgeous music composition, and unique sweet timbered voice, it was no surprise that Julieta would reach high levels of success, especially with new albums that have a strong pop agenda. But, many of her indie cult followers wondered what had happened to that emo punk rocker and why she appeared to be much happier in her videos and albums. It’s fair to say they felt she turned the other cheek by going too pop and becoming too famous. It’s also fair to say that Julieta was misunderstood by them, because, as we would see, she was heading towards her own artistic visions with new love stories to tell and their heartbreaks. All the while, she kept evolving and never letting any criticisms get in the away of her creative development.

av-music-album-julieta-momentos
‘Los Momentos’

A Return With A Vengeance: Los Momentos

“Si vez que todo se termina y eso en la vida es algo natural, el viento todo se lo lleva nada carga el peso que lo anclará. El mundo es una marea que siempre te lleva y te traerá. Abre los ojos, suéltate un poco y déjate llevar,” sings Julieta in “Por Qué?” off the new album. Like the song’s ever-evolving essence, Julieta’s career in a way also has had a free spirited approach. She never stuck to one thing, one image, one label, one genre, or one identity. She also never let anybody tell her who she is and what she needed to be. Instead, she wrote and chronicled those moments in life that made us listeners feel, relate to, learn to understand, and make our own personal stories out of her songs.

This is her seventh album, to some extent Julieta has boomeranged back to her indie rock alter, but to a fuller, and more comprehensive manner. This time she worked with a different producer, Mexico’s Yamil Rezc, who also produced Zoé and Hello Seahorse! “I wanted to collaborate with someone who can change the way I perceive myself,” she explains. “The whole album came out differently [then the previous one, Otra Cosa (2010)]. I didn’t really use that many acoustic and folk instruments. There’s less accordion and more piano and synths.” She also claims a hodgepodge of influences from many literary authors and musicians: “I always come back to José Alfredo Jimenez and Caetano Veloso. There are also young songwriters like Chile’s Gepe and Argentina’s Coiffeur whom I obsessively listened to while making [Los Momentos]. Literature-wise, I was reading a lot of Joseph Roth, who’s an Austrian writer. Borges’ poetry is pretty present too as well as Alejandra Pizarnik, an Argentinian poetess. I love classic Russian writers like Fyodor Dostoyevsky and Aleksandr Pushkin.”

Motherhood and Music

Besides her well-rounded influences and her return to rock, there’s another big distinction in Los Momentos: she’s a mother of a three-year-old girl named Simona, who inspired her lyrical composition. “Having a baby makes you feel things differently. It opened up my radar and I started to see things in a different light,” she expresses, “I’ve always been into stories that tell an emotional situation like amor and desamor – basic stories about falling in the route of love and all of its different forms. Now that has expanded to other ways like loving the world, and loving other people. It’s not about these very passionate stories. These are other stories, and yes, I do think it grew into something else.”

Going on Tour and Future Plans

Julieta Venegas is currently venturing on a U.S. tour singing songs from Los Momentos, but also her older songs and crowd favorites like “Lento,” “Sería Feliz,” “De Mis Pasos,” “Limón y Sal” among many others. Before she makes her way into Texas, we were fortunate enough to catch her in New York City where she played for a large, intimate crowd with her five-piece band. Donning a sleek burgundy dress, the artist was surrounded by an audience of all types: alternative, fresas, families, couples, etc. We witnessed a woman of excellent showmanship. We listened and sang along with the narrator of those moments that made us feel the spark of young love, and maybe even sadness and despair at times, but also helped us get through those moments of struggle and realize to accept all of those moments.

Right before she began this tour, in a phone conversation she reflects, “Finishing an album and listening to it is like looking at yourself in the mirror, so I try not to listen to my music too much [laughs]. I enjoy playing the new songs live, but also playing the older ones too for the people who know them. They have a different interpretation, you know, they’ve gone through things with my songs.” We also asked her if there was anything else she wanted to accomplish that she hasn’t yet done, and she replied, “I’d like to produce other people’s music and see where that goes.” During this tour it was announced that Julieta has been nominated by the Latin Grammys for “Best Contemporary Pop Vocal Album.” All of these indicate to us that there will be a bright future in Latin music for years to come.

Below, check out her take on “Vuelve” featuring none other than Chilean pop sensations Gepe and Javiera Mena.

Filed Under: Events, Slider Tagged With: julieta venegas

Q&A Interview: Nortec Collective’s Bostich + Fussible on Tijuana micorbreweries, Pilobolus and ‘Motel Baja’

August 20, 2013 By Isabela Raygoza

Nortec Collective's Bostitch and Fussible define the new sound of Tijuana. Photo courtesy of Nacional Records.

It’s been known that no other group fuses the soundtrack of their own city the way Nortec Collective does. Hailing at the start of the millennium, the luminary iPad-prone duo not only keeps reinventing the sonic melds that describes the noise of their beloved Tijuana, but their sound continues to inspire generations of new border fusions like today’s ruidosón. Here, Fussible (née Pepe Mogt) elaborates more on the evolution of these hybrid music sounds, and where they see Tijuana’s music scene heading.

We met up with both Bostich (née Ramón Amezcua) and Fussible just hours before they prepared for their Latin Alternative Music Conference (LAMC) Celebrate Brooklyn performance at Prospect Park. In this interview we talked about their anticipated and upcoming album Motel Baja, their recent collaboration with dance group Pilobolus, and about the microbrewery revolution that’s taking over Tijuana’s nightlife scene.

I hear that you are about to launch this new collaboration/party with a dance group called Pilobolus. Can you talk about that?

Fussible: Pilobolus is a New York-based dance group originally from Connecticut. It’s a company that has been together for about 2 years now. The group premiered a performance [July 11], which is a piece that they are going to dance with our music that is nearly 25 minutes long. We saw the rehearsals together and played the music for them, but July 11th was the first time we’ll be seeing the whole show collectively with all the costumes, lighting, etc., at the theater.

You guys have remained untouchable in the sense that Nortec never had direct competition musically, or even a Nortec spurt of clones since your emergence. Why do you think that is?

Bostich: One of those reasons is because Nortec reflects the lifestyle of a Tijuana citizen. It’s about collecting all the pieces from the roots of Tijuana. I think it will be very difficult for others to do ‘Nortec’ music because it’s a mixture of techno roots, and the other side is banda and norteña music.

In recent years, the media has called ruidosón the post-Nortec sound. Do you see any similarities to your music and ruidosón?

Fussible: In the beginning in 1999, when we started Nortec, we were one of the first to fuse norteño and banda with techno. We were also putting out a certain type of cumbia with [electronic music] during this time, but we did that only for one year.

Later years, cumbia exploded, and with that, lots of ruidosón bands emerged, including Macuanos, María y José, and other bands from Tijuana. I don’t care who did what first. It’s not a competition, or if they are copying us. If they are doing that, it’s fine with me. It’s not like I have to be requesting some kind of permit or whatever.

Not even Ramón or I invented norteño, or the fusion of norteño with electronica. Maybe the difference between them and us in the end is the music. You can do cumbia right now, but if you’re a good musician and your music is good, it really doesn’t matter if you’re mixing [techno] with norteño, salsa, or whatever kind of music.

So for us it’s good that we continue mixing. I’m not in a position to say, “They are copying what we did 10 years ago.” We really don’t care. What we really care is wishing them to keep doing well with music, and if they want to mix cumbia it’s fine with us. We hope they’re doing well and that they can be successful.

Because I consider you guys like music anthropologists, I want to ask you about where you see the music of Tijuana heading in about five to seven years, given that it changes so rapidly.

Fussible performing live at Club De Ville in 2011. Photo by Kristie Bocanegra.

Fussible: It’s now like a new scene in Tijuana, not only music and nightlife, but in food and breweries. Beer and microbreweries are a big movement right now, and that makes nightlife much more interesting. Nightlife is new in Tijuana right now.

People are also more concentrated in DJs than bands. There are a lot more DJs than bands. It’s been like two or three years now. Maybe there will be more bands in the next couple of years. What I see a lot now is a lot of fusion of jazz and rock, and improvisation of jazz music with young people, not to be mistaken with hotel jazz. It’s very experimental and very psychedelic. It’s really good.

I have been to a couple of events like that in Tijuana with local bands where they were playing jazz with really weird keyboards and distortions. I think there will be a movement heading that direction, and that there will be new things.

On the topic of the rise of microbreweries, what sparked this growth of new promoters in Calle Sexta?

Bostich: From 2004 to 2007, we lived very hard times in Tijuana. It was a very violent city. The people there constantly worried that they would be kidnapped. Those were terrible times.

In 2008, problems reduced. The people began looking for places to hang out. One of our friends at Calle Sexta opened up a bar called La Mezcalera. That was the beginning of Calle Sexta. People started to visit La Revo [Tijuanense slang for Avenida Revolución that crosses with Calle Sexta], and people started to open more bars at Calle Sexta.

Dive bars that serve beers sparked a movement of DJs, and now it’s crazy. From one bar in Calle Sexta now grew to become 60 bars! It’s a good thing. For one because now these bars [economically] help the streets of our city, and two Calle Sexta is now a cultural street where people want to go and grab a beer.

So what else is underway for you guys?

Bostich: We are working on our new album called Motel Baja. We’re currently full time working on it. It’ll be coming out early next year.

Filed Under: Events, Slider Tagged With: Bostich & Fussible, interview, notec collective

Q&A Interview: Pamela Rodriguez is Peru’s rising indie-pop princess

August 20, 2013 By Isabela Raygoza

Peruvian indie-pop princess Pamela Rodriguez. Photo by Cesar Fe.

“Sometimes we need to feel free in order to feel extraordinary,” avows Peruvian indie pop darling Pamela Rodriguez with such confidence and grace during her Latin Alternative Music Conference (LAMC) SummerStage performance. This is the first time Pamela has been billed alongside with Lila Downs – a personal music idol of hers. As the Central Park field overflowed with Downs’ fans dressed almost identically as the Oaxaqueña vocalist, Rodriguez, donning a shimmery lace shirt and a peachy skirt, conquered the crowd with her quirky pop melodies and all-around allure. She has the vocal intensity comparable to Ely Guerra and a similar pop buoyance as Ximena Sariñana’s, with much more depth. Her piano-laced love ballads touch on her experiences traveling Peru, motherhood, and heartbreak.

Hours before her performance, I had the chance to speak with Ms. Rodriguez and learn about the things that are near and dear to her. It’s known that she has some big career highlights: two Latin Grammys nominations and a recent hit junior record, Reconocer. However, my new findings about her were much more remarkable. She is extraordinary. Pamela is also very intelligent and thoughtful, and has created her own mantra (interpreted here) that overshadows her dark side by bringing in light. Here’s what she has to say:

This is your second time at LAMC. How is it going for you this time around?

I’m doing LAMC with a serious upgrade. Last year I played a beautiful acoustic showcase [at S.O.B.s] and did two songs. Now I’m performing at Central Park SummerStage. It’s very cool to be able to come with my band and do different things. I’m very excited about being able to show more of what I do in a broader sense.

So what inspired you to become a musician?

I’m a musical native. I come from a home of musicians. I never realized at any point of my life that I wasn’t a musician. I was born a musician. At 14 years old, I realized I wanted to do this in a professional way. By professionally I mean it as a craftsmanship and a life dedication – touring, recording, etc. I’ve always been serious about it and it’s been very solitary work. I work my craft as an artisan.

So you’ve also had a musical upbringing. Can you talk about that?

My brother does music and so does my dad. Actually, my dad [formerly known as Pepo Rok Rodriguez] did music during the ‘80s and his videos were recently released [“Lady of the Amazon”]. I recommend watching them. He has a cult following. His music sounds like electro ‘80s pop but with that lo-fi vintage sound. I think it’s hipper today then it was in the ‘80s. I was like, “hell yeah,” dad, that awesome!

Talk to me about your album, Reconocer. It’s received much critical acclaim. What song is the most significant to you and why?

The whole album because I can say that Reconocer is my first album from within, although, it’s actually my third. It is the first one that comes from the gut. I like it because it is really uplifting. I talk about how I see life, about freedom, about light… On that, I believe Reconocer is full of light because I like to be in touch with light, although, I am not always successful at that. I have a very dark side, like we all do. But, I strive to be in touch with light and freedom – to be free, to be happy with who you are, and to enjoy life. Reconocer is about my beliefs in life, and the things that make me feel good in a healthy way. That’s what I like to pour out of my heart.

What about the other two albums, Peru Blue (2005) and On the Shore (2007)? What connection do you have with them?

The other two albums were like my college thesis. I studied ethnomusicology during college at the conservatory. I studied classical voice, vocal jazz, musical theory, and musicology. Out of my ethnomusicology investigations, and my field works, I started to get really curious about my own roots. I love my first two albums, but I feel I have found there are a lot more things outside of them. I translated those new discoveries through music and Reconocer came out of that, from within.

You also spoke about your dark side. What is it for you?

I try to fight fear a lot. I feel I’m a very vulnerable person. I think I’m too sensitive. I have antennas that are way too activated. So, I perceive things in a very intense way and then I get scared. Sometimes freedom is leashed and that’s why I like to talk a lot about that subject because I have leashes in my own fear. Those fears make me feel very dark. I strive to become solid in my own convictions and beliefs, but it’s not easy. I am very happy that I’m willing to go through that fight to become a better and fuller person in a spiritual way, through music. It’s warmth for the soul. If I wasn’t doing music I’d be chanting “shanti, shanti, shanti” – I’d be a Buddhist! I am a few steps away from that. [Chuckles]

How has Peruvian music evolved?

Finally for the first time in Peruvian history, there is a scene. We have plenty of people doing music in the alternative vein such as Kanaku y el Tigre, Francois Peglau, Las Amigas de Nadie, and Turista. What’s cool is that we are all friends and support each other a whole bunch. On the downside, we lack structure in regards to touring and such things. It’s not like Mexico or New York where structure is already there. But, we are all getting together in efforts to change things. We look towards the good examples and strive to reproduce them in Peru. Our music is full of identity and original speech. The best is yet to come in Peruvian music, and I’m very proud to be apart of that scene.

What future projects do you have underway?

I just released a Tom Waits cover titled “No quiero hacerme mayor.” It’s done in a twee-pop version. In the meantime, I’ll be working with Hector Castillo of Brazilian Girls. He’s a great producer and an amazing person. We will be releasing single after single. I want to work singles from now on because I’m really enjoying the universe of one song at a time, along with their own music videos.

How do you feel about opening up for Lila Downs at SummerStage?

I’m in love with her. I don’t know if I’ll be able to sing! Seriously. Lila has been an inspiration for me. When I heard from the LAMC that I was opening up the show, I almost fainted, man. I think she is the most amazing vocalist right now. She’s a chameleon with 100 voices in one. She’s so powerful. She’s like a rich person inside. I’m super excited and I’m a fan. I’m Lila’s groupie. [Laughter]
— ——–
Watch the music video for Pamela Rodriguez’s single “No Queiro Hacerme Mayor” below. The track is her cover of the Tom Waits classic.

Filed Under: Events, Slider Tagged With: interview, LAMC, pamela rodriguez, peru

Q&A Interview: Chile’s DJ Raff & Latin Bitman head for an eclectic future in RVSB

August 5, 2013 By Isabela Raygoza

Chilean DJs/producers DJ Raff and Latin Bitman make up Nacional Records artist RVSB. Courtesy photo.

Buddy movie pitch: A former one-man punk musician grounded in old school hip-hop teams up with innovative craftsman to create a whole new sonic level of EDM amalgamated with trap, tech house and Chicago juke.

Meet RVSB, composed of Latin Bitman and DJ Raff – two of the most imaginative DJs/producers to come out of the Chilean scene. They both hail from an extensive journey of collaborations and touring alongside, as well as from Santiago’s progressive hip-hop scene tracing back since the ‘90s. A few months ago, they released their self-titled debut where they deliver one of the most compelling DJ productions of the year as of yet.

We met up at the New Yorker Hotel, a few days after their riveting LAMC performance at Bronx’ Cotrona Park, to discuss their new self-titled album via Nacional Records (available in iTunes), DJ skill vs. great taste in music, and their most outrageous experiences in music.

Before you guys became Latin Bitman and DJ Raff, how were your early stages with music and DJing?

Latin Bitman: I first started playing instruments at the age of 15 or 16 in a punk way. I never really studied music [formally]. I began playing drums, then bass, and afterwards guitar. I didn’t need a rehearsal room or a band to play music, and that was a good thing because transitioning from [a solo man] playing instruments to becoming a producer was second nature. Computers came into my life in the ‘90s along with music software. From there, I realized I was able to do anything I wanted with computers. That was when turntables came into the picture. One day I woke up and had my own songs, so I started DJing in clubs. I never stopped to realize how this happened, but that was my own evolution. Computers and machines allowed me to do anything I wanted to create in songs.

DJ Raff: My beginnings in music were similar, with the exception that I didn’t play guitar or drums. When I was a child, I built curiosity with the way machines work. I started to open up radios trying to understand them. I had a little turntable that was my father’s, so I started scratching and pushing buttons. When the first computer came into my house, I immersed.

‘RVSB’ is available now from Nacional Records.

Both of you have been active DJing for quite a while. What made this duo finally come together?

Latin Bitman: Both Raff and I have been working together in between collaborations and playing together for over 10 years in Chile – from doing “versus” collaborations to turntablism and scratching. We’ve been hip-hop DJs the whole time, and just last year we decided to become a team and make this record [RVSB]. As a surprise for our public, and even for us, there is no scratching, and almost no hip-hop. It’s a lot more electronic because this is the time we are living right now in our career. We’ve had a great reception all over the world. We do music that is very global — from some Latin influences that you can taste and beyond. It’s what we do.

How similar or different is the DJ scene in Chile from the US?

DJ Raff: There are more similarities than differences. The DJ scenes in the US and Chile have the same vibe. It keeps growing bigger and bigger. A lot of cool DJs with lots of skill [in both countries] are experimenting with turntablism and scratching. Many DJs and producers are also making electronic music. The good thing about that is that they can create something in the afternoon and then play it at night. Nowadays, the world becomes smaller in the sense that this scene is global. If there’s something going on in London, New York, or Santiago, it’s going to be worldwide.

Since you guys emerged ten years ago, how have you personally seen this scene evolve and progress?

DJ Raff: DJing is very important right now. When I started at 12 or 13 years old, I was DJing in birthday parties. The people [running the parties] would place me in the kitchen to play music for the kids from there. Similarly, in the clubs back in the ‘80s, DJs had a DJ booth that was very far from the dance floor. It wasn’t like nowadays, where the DJ is an artist on the platform, and everyone in attendance is watching him [or her]. It’s constantly withstanding evolution.

What do you call a great DJ?

DJ Raff: When I first started, it was the skill – DJs who have lots of it. Nowadays, I look for DJs that have good taste. I prefer taste over skill because you can go to a place where you don’t know the DJ, but if he plays a lot of cool and fun things, it becomes the best party. For me, that’s the best thing in a DJ, as well as those who try to do something different. That’s what I’m looking for.

Latin Bitman: For me it’s quite different. If you see a DJ that has good taste in music, that’s important, however if he has skill that attracts me. I look for everything, from the production of the album to their DJing skills in the club.

Who are your influences right now?

Latin Bitman: I have a lot of influences from James Brown to Bob Marley to Kraftwork. It’s very open. I like rock, hip-hop, and Run DMC. Probably that’s why in my music there are a good mix of different styles.

DJ Raff: Nowadays, I’m listening to a lot of music from labels here in the States, for example Tri-angle Records, and also Warp Records from London. Basically, anything that is cutting edge.

What else is in stock for you this year?

Latin Bitman: We are premiering our first video together. It’s a huge video with a new concept. You will see the essence of Latin American culture with a universal concept. It’s very modern and has a very good taste visually. Expect something new and different for Latin alternative music and Chilean music.

Last question: for the time you’ve been active musically, I’m sure you’ve seen a lot. But from your memory, what has been the most outrageous experience?

Latin Bitman: Everything. It’s been over 10 years. I don’t even know where to start, but it’s usually always drunk people who do things that you don’t expect.

DJ Raff: I remember around 15 years ago when Marilyn Manson came to Chile. I was backstage watching the show and at the time, I didn’t even know who Marilyn Manson was, but only that he was big. All of a sudden, he started fighting with the sound engineer, beating the shit out of him right next to me. I thought: what the hell is going on?! The sound engineer was bleeding and everything. That was outrageous.

Filed Under: Events, Slider Tagged With: chile, DJ Raff, Latin Bitman, rvsb

LAMC 101: Intro to the Latin Alternative Music Conference

July 1, 2013 By Isabela Raygoza

LAMC founder Tomas Cookman / photo courtesy of Cookman International

New York City continuously seizes to amaze millions, notably for its unmatched entertainment empire. Summer just rolled in, and with that, New Yorkers and visitors expect tons of riveting shows to occur like every year. If you’re familiar with its music festivities, know a thing or two about the Latin alternative scene and know the difference between Bonnaroo and Vive Latino, then surely you’ve got the Latin Alternative Music Conference (LAMC) pinned down. But there’s a good chance you don’t know beyond the acronyms, or simply define it as the Latino SXSW or Latin CMJ. If your case is the latter, don’t worry. Let us guide you through it and give you the 101 on LAMC.

What is LAMC?

Though the LAMC is a critically acclaimed event that celebrates the Latin music scene, it’s actually normal to encounter music fest-goers who aren’t too familiar with it. Mainly because 1) they’ve never been to New York, 2) are not too exposed to the Latin alternative milieu. Whatever the case is, here’s a brief rundown.

Firstly, LAMC is a five-consecutive-day summer series of live music and panel discussions–this year commencing July 9-13. Yes, a bunch of Latino artists perform in all of the showcases who obviously play Latin alternative music, and yes again, they are based anywhere in Latin America, Spain or the U.S.

But who’s behind it, why does it exist, and how did it come about?

LAMC was founded by entrepreneur Tomas Cookman, CEO and founder of Nacional Records, in 2000–same year as Vive Latino and Latin Grammys. It emerged during a pivotal time when newer sounds of Latin music sought a more appropriate place to reside, outside of conventional Latin categorizations (regional, pop, rock en Español, etc.). Cookman was already responsible for importing and representing Latin alternative heavyweights like Manu Chao, Aterciopelados, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs and other wunderkinds to the U.S. audience via his management and thriving label bringing the “New Sounds of Latin Music”–National’s slogan.

In a convo with Cookman, he recalls, “A little over 14 years ago, I noticed that a lot of the general market conferences were having Latino panels. They were more often than not about the genres of music that I was working with, supporting and championing–and they were well attended. That got a conversation going and before you knew it, the first LAMC was announced.”

Thereafter, Cookman with Nacional Records have been accountable for groundbreaking newer artists into the US such as luminary techno newcomers Bomba Estereo, Nortec Collective, Mexican Institute of Sound, The Pinker Tones among countless more. But when it comes to LAMC performers, not all of them are part of the Nacional roster. Some include artists from Latin American indie labels you probably never heard of like Quemasucabeza (Gepe), Arts&CraftsMX (Torreblanca, Delorean) to corporate major ones that everyone knows like Sony (Calle 13, Julieta Venegas) and Universal (Mala Rodriguez).

Another important thing to know that often gets misconceived is that…

LAMC 2013 happens July 9-13 in New York City.

LAMC isn’t your Latino SXSW or CMJ

Sure, all three above have similar formats (e.g. live showcases, panels, badges, etc.), but very different agendas. SXSW is focused on showcasing local and international music in Texas’ culturally renowned music-heavy city, Austin–a focal point and key differentiator. And CMJ Music Festival introduces college radio, industry types and the audience groundbreaking music around the world across Manhattan and Brooklyn.

So how is LAMC different from these? Three words: Latin alternative music. It is more than just a “Latin” genre but a subculture and an attitude, which we’ll shortly get to. To Tomas Cookman, he explains, “The beauty of it all is that [all music conferences] are important and serve their purposes. It would not make sense for there to be just one outlet for all this creativity. Imagine only the Cannes Film Festival but no Sundance or Toronto Film Festival. The same goes with the Billboard Latin Music Conference [which covers only Latin POP (Shakira, J Lo)]. Music is so varied and markets are so complex that it is key that there are professional and well-run events for people to get together and show what they are all about.”

So what is the LAMC all about? It’s about Latin alternative.

Now, Latin alternative is a fairly new subculture and music genre for the mainstream. Technically, neither “Latin” nor “alternative” are actually real music genres, but as my colleague Matt Barbot of Remezcla puts it, they are “umbrellas covering tons of different styles that have some basic things in common.” Under those umbrellas we’ll see that ñu-cumbia is like cumbia with newer elements, reggaeton and moombahton are totally different sounds and styles, and rock doesn’t have to be ‘en Español’ or is not limited to be. For these reasons and more ‘Latin alternative’ exceeds the categorization of what ‘Latin music’ was considered to be by the mainstream.

But really, it takes way more than a paragraph to explain it all, and Cookman knows that pretty well. He states, “Defining Latin alternative is a full time job as “rock” can be (and all the genres within that broad word). It’s hip-hop (and all its variations), electronica, reggae, tropical… well, just about anything. It’s about wanting something new” He reassures that it’s not just a sound but also an attitude and a feeling, as opposed to being defined by a drumbeat or rhythm. So you see, the spectrum of Latin alternative is very wide with a bright, evolving, and promising future ahead of it.

So what should you expect at LAMC?

First thing to do is reserve your badge. This will guarantee your entry for those five days. It will include access to the press area, panel discussions, and interaction area, all held at the New Yorker Hotel. Here, lots of networking, mingling, and publicity exposure occurs as well as knowledge gaining in the panel room addressing today’s most sought-after topics and debates in the music and media industry. You’ll also notice tons of industry types waiting to sign the next Calle 13, and others aiming for the latest exclusives on Los Rakas, Astro, Natalia Lafourcade… Surely, expect to attend indie and acoustic showcases, massive outdoor concerts, and more, all held in Central Park’s Summerstage, The Mercury Lounge, Crotona Park, S.O.B.’s, Gramercy Theatre, and Prospect Park’s Celebrate Brooklyn.

Indeed, this 2013 will be a bit different then those proceeding because LAMC is expanding not just in music but also in film, books, spoken word and food. Cookman informs us that this is the first year of LAMC Latin Tastes of New York. He says, “We continue to grow year after year and it is our goal to make this the center of all things cool and Latino every year. For one week in July, whatever your art is, you can celebrate it in New York.” And as the saying goes, if you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere.

Now that you got the 101 on LAMC, we await to see you there. Check out the full lineup here and for more info visit www.latinalternative.com.

Filed Under: Events, Slider Tagged With: LAMC, Latin Alternative, Latin Alternative Music Conference, music festival

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