Page 30 - the NOISE June 2016

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URBANA
Formed in 2010, Tucson’s 6 piece bi-national Vox Urbana is one of the State’s most exciting and innovative current bands. Their music evolves from (but is not restricted to) Latin- based musical themes, with a high energy and infectious, danceable delivery. Their records are tight, playful and superbly arranged. Their live shows come highly recommended and are fluid, exciting and fun, spreading a groove-based message of unity and solidarity, winning over audiences throughout the region.
Lyrically, the band has a strong Southwestern voice, with an important social-political and cultural focus. For the band’s as yet unreleased 3rd album, Vox Urbana undertook the already critically appraised Cumbia Corridos project, narrating the often heartbreaking and brutal stories from the border community, focusing on immigration advocacy and civil rights. The songs are based upon real life stories of families and individuals escaping extreme poverty, gang violence or persecution over their gender identity or sexual orientation.
A corrido, native to Mexico, is a narrative poetic storytelling style. Presently many people associate the term with drug traffickers who have adopted corridos to glorify tales of violent greed and misogyny (these are known as narco corridos). Most traditional corridos however, highlight the quest for political and social justice, or romance.
“We want to create a music that is danceable and immediately accessible to our audience, but with lyrics that tell the story of Tucsonians whose voices are pushed to the margins. By using their stories as the inspiration for lyrics, we look to create heroes of those whose narratives lie outside the mainstream.”
The band currently consists of members Enrique “Kiki” Castellanos, electric guitar and vocals; Joaquin Zamudio, bass; Jim Colby, keyboards and saxophone; David Perez, congas/ bongos; Saul Millan, trombone; Casey Hadland, drums. And special guests: Victor Cruz, bass; and Logan Phillips, DJ and vocals.
This writer posed the following questions to Kiki & Jim.
For the average person unfamiliar with the genre of Cumbia music, Huapango, or many of the
other latin genres you touch upon, would you mind explaining some of the key elements of your sound.
(Jim:) Cumbia is a South American musical style, originating in the coastal regions of Colombia. It is a fusion of an African rhythmic base mixed with melodies and instrumentation from the indigenous people of Latin America and European colonizers.
The key elements of our sound are a big, driving rhythm section of latin basslines over a full drumkit and congas. This is the foundation of everything, with keyboards, horns, guitars layered over the top. The rhythms are not only just the loping shuffle of cumbia, but can switch to the faster Carribean rhythms of salsa, or a more laid back Latin funk influenced feel.
Clearly your Geography is central to your musical drive and political slant. But I am curious to your individual musical backgrounds, as collectively you make such a celebratory sound. Was there an ideal for your sound from the beginning, and was it difficult assembling a band with such a specific musical goal in mind?
(Jim:) There was no ideal sound in the beginning, the band has slowly grown and changed into what it is now over time. Originally the band was a 3-piece of only bass, percussion, and accordion. I think the idea of adding instruments and having a bigger sound was always present, but it grew more organically out of inviting friends to play rather than searching to add a particular element.
As a bi-National band in a border town, you are clearly politically motivated. The very appearance of your multicultural personnel playing the music you do could even be considered a political statement. Were politics, personal or in a broader sense, important to Vox Urbana from the start? Or have your political themes become more important as the band has developed?
(Jim:) Being politically aware and promoting social justice has always been a part of Vox Urbana. A number of the members of the band have histories as community organizers and political activists, as well as roots in socially conscious corners of the punk and hardcore world. Writing songs with a political message and playing fundraisers and political events has been a part of the band since its inception.
That’s interesting you have band members from punk background, but of course makes sense given your social political stance. Musically, it is quite a change in direction from punk to Cumbia,
30 • JUNE 2016 • the NOISE arts & news • thenoise.us
REALTIES
& RHYTHM
INTERVIEW BY
BEVERLEY NAPALM
but there are parallels with your music and the verve of punk attitude. Aside from your musical activities, are any of your members still politically involved in your community?
(Kiki:) There are direct links between the cumbia and punk movements. Cumbia emerged during some extreme economic deprivations faced in various Latin American countries. For example, Argentina’s cumbia villera is a style of cumbia that originally talked about the lived realities of the slums as a way to provide a counter narrative to the romantization of the neoliberalist economic policies. Both cumbia and punk music genre were not accepted by the elite or middle class. Therefore, there was constant repression regarding the lack of available spaces to build community and have shows. Both the punk and cumbia movements had to carve out their own spaces, and many times this meant reclaiming the streets. This was the case of cumbia sonidero movement in Mexico City.
In many ways our perception of being politically involved has morphed and matured. In general, some of our members shifted from large scale campaigns to more localized barrio initiatives. For example, we’ve helped low income families create their own garden and recycle greywater as a way to fight against the “food desert” and become more sustained. Members of our band are passionate about gender justice and therefore work to support victims of violence get back on their feet. Migration and transgender rights are also important issues. Members of Vox Urbana are politically involved because they are trying to improve food and gender justice as well as immigrant rights in their barrios or work because they are surrounded by these struggles every day.
You received a grant from Tuscon Pima Arts Council and the Puffin Foundation to realize your “Cumbia Corridos” project. As a band, you personally interviewed marginalized border area families
to form the basis for your latest collection of songs. Where did this idea come from?
(Jim:) Vox Urbana had already been writing songs that contained narratives that illustrated the struggles, injustices, and realities of life near the border, so it was a natural extension of what we were already doing. It was a small step to conceive of a collection of songs that shared the real stories of those we knew in the recent immigrant community of Tucson.
I imagine the “Cumbia Corridos” project was a huge undertaking emotionally. What were some of the obstacles faced from inception to realization of these songs?
(Jim:) I think the most challenging part of the project was writing lyrics for people who had entrusted you with very personal stories of struggle and hardship. you feel responsible for making something great, something that can come even close to reflecting the personal strength, resolve, and hope of the people that we interviewed.
Have you kept in touch with any of the families of the stories you have shared?
(Kiki:) We don’t have to go out of our way to keep in touch with the families whose stories we sing about because they are an integral part of our community. Therefore we see them constantly in events and other social functions. We are invested in them as individuals, not just in their story, and therefore are available to help in any possible way, keeping in mind that all our members are part of the working class, which limits our time and money attributions. However, Vox Urbana has connection with diverse community partnerships who can assist. If it all fails, we are always willing to play at events and donate all the proceeds to help not just the individual in our songs, but their communities.
Can you tell us about some of the individuals you wrote about? For example, Carolina from Acapulco?
(Kiki:) Carolina was born in Acapulco, Mexico. She is a member of the Tucson-based organization Mariposas Sin Fronteras, which helps migrant undocumented individuals of the LGBTQ community to get out of detention centers in Arizona. Carolina had to leave her country of origin due to violence against the transgender community. Carolina is admirable because she fights every day to bring justice and freedom to the community. She is a true warrior.
Be sure to catch Vox Urbana when they make a welcomed visit to Flagstaff, Saturday June 4 for the 7th Annual Hullaballoo in Wheeler Park. You can check out the band’s first two LPs through VoxUrbana.bandcamp.com
| Beverley Napalm is clearly a frecklejuice fan. bev@thenoise.us INTERvIEw