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fridaynightbordercrossing · 6 years

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An Interview With Almalafa

Almalafa is one of the most important bands to understand the development of a ska and reggae scene in Tijuana. With a trajectory that has gone for more than 18 years, they tell us about their trajectory.

THE BEGINNINGS

"In those years, we had some friends that were singing, Roxana and Ivette, who did not sing at all(laughs). There was also Carlos Monarrez on Guitar, Jorge Martínez on bass and Julio Martínez on drums. We knew the people of Babylón XX, who played then as Cairo, that was between '93 or '94, so they invited us to play "

"The first important show was the Rock 94 Marathon behind the Jai Alai, they connected us. At that time, we had a demo that was produced by El Chino Perales. In addition, for that festival, we had our first interview for radio, which was connected through Jorge, keyboardist of Babylón XX, who was the boyfriend of Betty Juárez of Stéreo Amistad at the time. We were hungry to be known and we were looking for where to play. "

"In '97, the band was well formed with a metal section and with Isaac as a vocalist, we had the songs ready and we were looking for a studio and an engineer who could record as well. Nessie recorded in Los Angeles, that was an option, but we listened to Nona Delichas and we talked to Rubén Montoya and with him, we recorded at Sweet Sound in National City. With the album ready, we were always looking for large venues to play. We played at Mexicali En La Playa, which in those years was good, there we met Mario Alberto from More FM 98.9, we delivered him the tape and so, we went into the radio little by little".

"The songs were liked and the band got a lot of fans, people thought that the band was foreign, not that it was from Tijuana. Once we played at Club Dosis in Pueblo Amigo and we met El Gato from Mexico City, he brought bands from there and had a sales tent at the Tianguis Del Chopo. He was the first to take the cassette to Mexico City, and that was the first time we went there, even in the Metro, they sold it for 20 pesos. After more bands came out like Los Kung Fu Monkeys, Dead Panchos, and Esos Gueyes and we made the Mexican Ska Fest 1 in Studio 1 of More FM with 1500 people, we invited Chencha Berrinches from Los Angeles with the support of Eduardo Cruz through the Institute Municipal of Art and Culture".

CALIFORNIA CONNECTION

"Playing in California was a good time for the band. I do not remember if they found us online, but who called us was Sergio" Lavis "Peralta for the Skalifornia Fest that was held at the Terraza Jamay, which was a party hall straight from the '70s. After him, we hooked with Jorge Leal from Ecléctica, who later became our manager in the United States and was the one who got our record trough Option Sónica USA ".

"With the album, we started playing in the best places in Hollywood like The Roxy, Key Club, Conga Room, House Of Blues, The King Theater, Whiskey A Go-Go, The Palace and The Knitting Factory. In addition, we also played in Anaheim at JC Fandango's, obviously in San Diego at Brick By Brick, SOMA, Open Air Theater, Cafe Sevilla and Over The Border. We were also in Chicago, in the Aragón Ballroom with Brujería. But what is a fact, is the list of names of bands and artists that we alternate in all these places: Los Pericos, Autenticod Decadentes, Tijuana NO !, The Specials , The Wailers, Fidel Nadal, La Mosca Tse Tse, Karamelo Santo, Garrobos, King Chango, Wisecracker, Chris Murray, G Spot, Vicentico, The Aggrolites, The Skatalites, Un Kuartito, Sekta Core, Salon Victoria, Panteon Rococo, Maldita Vecindad , Molotov, General Public, Victims Del Dr. Cerebro, Okploide, Alika, 2 Minutos, Antidoping and many more. The reviews appeared in magazines such as La Banda Elástica and Retila, in those times we played more in Los Angeles than in Tijuana".

"In fact, at a point we considered staying in California for a while, it would have been interesting to stay for months and record there, since there are good studios, but we have a family, that occupies a large part of our time. When we went to Mexico, we slept in a small room, we were without nothing, 2, 3 months. You have to know how to have control of that, because if you can not stand it is difficult. People have said to us a lot of bullshit, but if people knew that we played from the nastiest punk places in Mexico to the nicest places in Hollywood, we've been working hard".

"More FM was very strong with rock music, all of Tijuana began to listen to us. What happens is that because of their politics, the radio stops helping you, they take away the spots. At that time, we were strong in Los Angeles, in Tijuana we did not play because there was not a record to show people. On the other hand, in Tijuana it is difficult to get paid, you have to pull your people, assure them something. Nobody takes risks, then, it is difficult in that sense. We used to do our events, but we stopped doing them because we did not have a record, but we're starting over again".

SOWING THE SEED IN MEXICO

"With the Psicodelic Ska album in the market, we returned to Mexico City to festivals and PP Lobo arrived and offered to release the album under his PP Lobo Records label. He already had signed the bands that we the most popular there like La Matatena, Sekta Core, La Tremenda Korte, so he offered to distribute the album. We also participated in the first two Mexican ska compilations, Skuela de Baile 1 y 2 that had very good distribution, and that helped us to get promoters to take us to Mexico City. Almalafa had the best recording, best vocalist and most original concept. Maybe it is bad to say it, but, we were better in everything and we influence many bands from there. For example, listen to El Fantasma De La Rana of Sekta Core and it sounds like Quemare Tu Sepultura or a song from Panteon sounds like Psicodelia and there are more".

"The ska scene in Mexico continues and strong, there are ska shows everywhere, in Tijuana, Guadalajara, Monterrey, DF and even in Los Angeles, we are in the 3rd. Ska wave. New bands come out in every city. Here in Tijuana, ska bands are the ones that move the most, as I see it, making shows, looking for venues, and this is part of what we have planted bands like Tijuana NO !, The KFM and us. There is a strong scene with an audience".

"Many people have a very bad concept of ska bands, not all of them are like that, but, we have an evolution, we are playing more things. We are Mexican Ska but it's boring to play just that, that's why we're putting more thing, having more fun, that's why there are very varied things on the second album. In terms of lyrics, each band has its own way of protesting. We talk about not wanting wars, but we do not talk about what happened in the past, we talk about the present, talking about positivism and good vibes, it's a way of a protest seeking peace. We can not be a single genre band, we have to change it, but as for the band's concept, we play what we play, we're not going to change, so we play with any type of band, we are what we are, that's our satisfaction".

MI PELIGROSA TIJUANA

"We feel more mature, musically, we are better musicians than before and that helps us make better music, lyrics, and arrangements. We are going to give you a mixture of rhythms very different from those of the first album, combined with the Alma-style ska. Also, more aggressive voices and choirs, something that did not have the first album. The sound of this album is more raw, not as clean as that of Psicodelic Ska. In this recording, the studio is better and we use Rubén Montoya as an engineer again, we feel very comfortable with him ".

"This record was a medium length process, like 2 years, a lot of time, but it was because of the expensive of the studio. We recorded it in the Studio EQ of Los Tucanes De Tijuana. With the profits of the shows, we bought blocks of 5 or 10 hours. Actually, it was not very comfortable, we worked against the clock, pressured by time and cost, but in the end, I am quite pleased with the result. It was also a long process because when it was already recorded new things were coming out in the arrangements and we were changing them again. This record can be considered to be within the ska movement, but that does not mean that Almalafa does not play anything else ska. Almalafa is a versatile band that likes to combine ska with rhythms such as Danzon, Bossanova, Jazz, etc, that could change on a future the musical course of the band".

"Imagine that at this time we had released two albums, things would have been different, but now, things are like that and we go with it. Exactly I do not know what would have happened, but we would be a little more advanced. There is a time, in which, I do not know, it's like a challenge in all bands where there are difficulties, but thank God, we get along, we have been able to keep the band, we are more understanding among ourselves, we are still here and we do not think about stopping in a very long time".

"At the start, we played making noise, looking to structure a song, build the band and not think about the result. We do not do thinking that the songs are going to hit, we compose and make then for our liking. We were lucky to have been in a compilation of Sony Music, where the first track was ours. A lot of people knew about us and had a good response and it was a good achievement. Also with Ubeerse Records in Germany with whom we had the distribution of the album, there has been a good response from over there and even from Indonesia".

"Technology makes things easier, but we are old school. We recognize that computing and the internet are an important tool, and in that case, it is better to be independent, we can do anything with the record, we can put it anywhere. What we want is promotion, that is what we are fighting, whoever distributes it, gives us something to work. If we were signed, the problem would be that we would be without promotion, without that, there is nothing. There are bands that been freeze by companies. In fact, there are many bands that even the company decides not even releasing or distributing their record, which is worse. You are learning to be independent, to move without that "help", since you do not know if it is for good or for bad, so we want to be the owners of the material. Peter Gabriel, to give an example, sells only his material and is dedicated to touring the world. The most well-known bands are able to pull their own deals. We like to have control, so that is why nothing has ever been signed. We are not interested in the transnational record companies, we will be independent until death, (the big ones) do not take care of the bands".

IN CONCLUSION

"Almalafa continues, and will continue to make music, recording it, making videos and playing here and there, where it is possible, traveling to other cities. We have a necessity to create and present music, and if it is well accepted by people, much better. With the time we have, it is easier, the promoters are looking for us to participate in their festivals and it allows us to play for more people".

"We have been playing for more than 15 years, but we have reinvented ourselves, we have again that hunger to go on tour and record new songs. In music we are in a super point of creation, we are getting the very good stuff. And what we have left this year is to return to Mexico City and start recording Volume 2 of the album Mi Peligrosa Tijuana, we are ready to start recording, there are 10 full songs and we want to start working on that".

UPDATE

They finally released Mi Peligrosa Tijuana and in fact, it is their finest release, showcasing their uncanny ability to make great songs. They celebrated their 20th year being featured in the Pepsi Ska Fest in Mexico City with good reception. Still are going strong, going back to California and doing some special shows.

(Compilation of interviews conducted between 2000 and 2012 for RadioTrac in Bulbo Broadcast, Trac! Trac! Trac!, JarCore Radio and No Cover in Spanish)

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#Tijuana #interview #Ska #Reggae #Music #culture

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