Tag Archives: music

in english

The RBD phenomenon

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There is a pop band that is famous all over the American continent.  It has filled venues in Brazil, Argentina, the United States, Colombia and Mexico.

Their name is RBD, and they're a marketing offshoot of a very popular opera by Televisa, "Rebelde".

Their music is rather plastic (as is the "band"), but they are a money-making machine.  They have been involved in a series of scandals, such as when 3 people died in an autograph-signing session in Sao Paulo in 2005, and when one of their singers confessed to being gay a few months ago.

Why do I talk about them, if their music (and the overall concept) seems to me rather bad?  Because, firstly, I believe they're a perfect example of the power of telenovelas and the marketing around them as a mostly Latin American phenomenon with an expanding reach.  Furthermore, I wouldn't be surprised they would cross-over to the English-language worldwide market, as was the case with Shakira and Ricky Martin.

en español

A 50 años de la muerte de Pedro Infante

Normalmente no me importaría demasiado, pero dado que ya tiene tiempo que pasó a mejor vida, sirvan estas líneas para recordar a uno de los personajes más entrañables del cine mexicano de los 40s y 50s, Pedro Infante (videos), quien junto a Jorge Negrete (videos), francamente mi preferido, extendieron el gusto por el cine y la música mexicana por el mundo hispanoparlante de aquella época.

Para recordarlos, uno de mis dúos favoritos en Dos Tipos de Cuidado.

Pedro Infante ,Jorge Negrete -coplas de dos tipos de cuidado
in english

Closing Time: High school memories

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On a day like this when I’m meditating about life, the universe and everything, my iPod had the nerve to play Closing Time by Semisonic.


The lyrics are especially touching given what happened afterwards. Phrases such as “time for you to go out, go out into the world”, “time for you to go back to the places you will be from” and “every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end” are as relevant to my life now as they were back then even though I have more experience now.

Every time I hear this song memories come back like a torrent. My high school friends, my feelings at the time, the Model United Nations we were involved in, the work that went into it and the closing ceremony of the last one I was part of, exams, classes, parties, crushes, relationships created, broken and repaired, trips, and the expectancy of entering university and the work that went into trying it in another country.

With this song and Time of your life by Green Day I can just sit down and replay all those moments in my mind.

I can’t believe it’s been 8 years since I graduated. A lot has happened since then. I reinvented myself and the experience gave me the wings I needed to try something else.

¡Un abrazo a todos ustedes, sin importar donde estén!

en español

Molotov quiere Ver Golazos

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El celebérrimo video censurado de Molotov para Televisa Deportes abajo.
La historia aquí y aquí.
Lo más cómico del asunto es que en el portal de Televisa esmas.com ya le tenían sitio guardado, pero no sé por qué no lo pusieron, ja.

Yo sólo me pregunto, si ya saben cómo son los de Molotov, y la relación previa que han tenido con Televisa (sólo basta recordar “Que no te haga bobo Jacobo” o “El Carnal de las Estrellas”), ¿cómo se les ocurre pedirles una canción?

en español, in english

Current Mexican rock scene

Another article in the Rock en Español series.

In the last 6 years there has been an explosion of so-called indie rock bands in Mexico, giving it a very active scene. As has been the case before, some bands from other countries have also been performing in festivals such as the Vive Latino or Rock en Exa.

The rock scene in Mexico had been strongly supported in Mexico City with magazines such as Rock and Roll and radio stations such as the defunct Rock 101, Radioactivo and now Reactor. The latter released during the past two years a series of until now 4 EPs with the independent bands they have given airplay to called “¿Cuál es tu Rock? Mi primera caja de música” and they have been warmly received by a young public avid of new music. I have them all and heartily recommend them.

The bands included are (all are links to their Myspace profiles, where you can listen to their music):

Funnily enough, not all of them are Mexican, and neither do they all sing in Spanish, but that’s the kind of music that has been making the rounds there in the past couple of years.

More background on the current indie scene from El Universal.