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Featured Artist: Malafacha

The week, Lights Up! was grateful for the opportunity to sit down with the band, Malafacha. Malafacha is a Mexican ska band based here, in Chicago. 

Malafacha started with a group of highschool students who formed the band together after having been a part of a mariachi group in school together. The group continued to grow and decided that they wanted to make Mexican ska music together. The development of the group was family-oriented, with influences and involvement by the group members’ families. 

Ska music is a relatively new genre that isn’t even listed as a genre on Spotify. One of the members, Moises, spoke to how they became exposed to Mexican Ska in the 90s because of a friend. Malafacha saw a need for more Latin Ska, so they built their own scene here in Chicago.

As the group kept progressing, they wanted to play at larger venues but found it difficult to get those spaces, so Malafacha began hosting their own events. Their events invited groups from all over the country and created a network of bands. 

Malafacha is very family oriented. Not just because of their founding but also through the continued involvement of their families and the environment they create. Many members of the group are fathers, and will invite their kids to performances and even bring their kids up on stage. 

Ramon spoke to how he had some concerns about being able to perform and practice with the group while also keeping his son safe. But said that his concerns were resolved as he realized that the members of Malafacha, being a community of people who care for one another and their families, were being very careful and striving to keep each other safe. 

Ramon also spoke to how musicians are in a tough spot with the winter coming up, since the winter blues and stay-at-home advisory can mean trouble for some people. But he said that tools such as Zoom and social media can be used as a creative outlet for artists during this time. 

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the group hasn’t been able to host in-person events like they used to. However, they have taken this opportunity to hold livestream concerts and spend more time recording their upcoming album. Malafacha spoke to the difficulty of adapting to this fully online world and learning how to do livestreams, but said that in the end they are grateful for the many outlets they have to connect with their fans.

Malafacha is proof that music can create a sense of community and belonging, even during a global pandemic. 

If you are interested in beginning to listen to Malafacha, you can follow them on social media to stay updated on when their events are being held and stay up to date with their upcoming album.  All of their social media handles are listed below, and you can hear their music featured on Music Garage’s “Featured Artist 2020” playlist on Spotify and Soundcloud.

Instagram: @malafachaska

Facebook: Malafacha Ska

Website: malafachaska.com

Spotify: Malafacha