ThE rEvOlUtiOn HaS bEgUn

South Florida Edition * July 3 - July 16 1998

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Rock en Espanol

With the British Invasion of the 60's came a revolution in American music that shook and rattled the market out of it's 50's rock ‘n' roll doldrums. It was the perfect antidote for white middle-class kids to ticky-tacky suburbia and post-modern alienation. The revolution turned into a 30-year evolution of American Rock and while on the home stage, Carlos Santana serenaded American kids with the wail of Spanish guitar progressions on "Samba Pa Ti" and the heat of latin percussions on "Black Magic Woman," our American rock hybrids grew into one of the hottest exports to Spain, South and Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean. Almost 30 years of evolution in those countries provided rock with exciting new flavors, with as many interpretations and varieties as American Rock.
Some of this new rock mirrors its American counterparts-- pop, metal,punk and alternative-- with the exception of Spanish lyrics and latin landscapes. Other brands fuse folk traditions, latin rythyms and native instruments with rock and yet others, true to rock and roll tradition, are just undefinable. Whatever its roots and influences, the genre undeniably represents the newest revolution in rock ‘n' roll history, Rock en Espanol.
Today, Rock en Espanol has an internationally based market whose bands include the Mexican pop-rock group Mana, Cafe Tacuba, Los Enanitos Verdes, Argentina punkers Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, Los Amigos Invincibles, Soda Stereo and female rocker, Rosario. They are as popular as any American Rock mega-star. That fact along with the growth in the U.S. Hispanic market which will soon define Hispanics as the largest minority group within the next fifty years has certainly earned the interest and respect of many American record labels who have added latin divisions. That's certainly the case with BMG U.S. Latin according to Ivonne Labrada, media contact for the label's Miami public relations firm. "(the label) recognizes the huge market in the U.S. and plans to present a Brazilian band they are preparing for the market who's sold four million records (in Brazil." Part of the preparation she says is to have the band record five songs in Spanish (instead of its native Portuguese)," says Labrada.
With three of the top 25 U.S. Hispanic markets within its borders (Miami, Orlando, Tampa/St. Petersburg), Florida boasts the fastest Hispanic growth. Add to that a musician's Mecca saturated with venues, recording studios, promoters, musicians and all the major latin labels. Blend in a market fueled by a multi-million dollar entertainment industry supported by national and international tourism and you have the prime ingredients for a new flavor of Rock en Espanol -- American style.
Evidence of this Florida trend is gaining notice in the studios. Becen Padron of ARC Studios in Kissimmee is seeing more latin acts in the studio and demands by latin labels for new acts that can't yet be filled. "Record companies across the globe are looking for the new thing," says Padron. Everything goes in phases... as we go into the new decade they [the labels] are looking for the "new" sound." Padron predicts Orlando will resemble Seattle during the Grunge movement of the early 90's within the next two or three years.
Producer Jose Blanco of south Beach Studios says there are more Rock en Espanol bands in the studio in Miami as well but that the local industry is still hesitant to take a chance. "It's a big movement. It's definitely there," says Blanco. "Unfortunately independent labels are afraid to risk (with local Rock en Espanol)." So much so according to Blanco, a band he recently produced, Zero Absoluto, is finding it may have to go out of state to find a label.
That wasn't so for Miami-based Fulano de Tal, which is the first all-American Rock en Espanol band to be signed by BMG U.S. Latin, according to Claudia Figuerado, the band's public relations representative. Its first single, "Christina Maria," has already hit the top ten playlist on all the latin rock stations in Puerto Rico and the United States." The band is perfect for the American Market," She also notes that only one of the band members is Hispanic, which seems to be one of the unique elements defining Florida's new flavor of Rock en Espanol.
That's certainly the case for Orlando heavy metal-style band Raza India. Raza India's four-man-band includes a non-hispanic bass player. "That's what's cool about it," says bass player, Mike Thornton. "It's just straight American heavy metal bass. Frontman Luis Arriaga also sees Orlando as a perfect place for the sharing of musical styles." Orlando right now is the hot spot because we've got a lot of American musicians who like the latin flavor... Americans want to discover that kind of flavor and add (it) to their own music and create their own style -- make them more full musicians."
Bands with a blend of members is something of a necessity according to Victor Garcia-Rivera, guitarist for the Ramones-influenced Miami band, Arranca. "You have to play with the musicians who are available, but it's more than that" says Garcia-Rivera. "This is something the labels don't understand. (This) Rock en Espanol has to be different (for American audiences). It must be bi-lingual. It must be native to this country. The trend must more accurately reflect the lives of Hispanics and of being Hispanic in the U.S. We grow up speaking English. We interact with all kinds of people. You can't lump us into one market," says Garcia-Rivera.
Kike Posada, publisher of Boom, a magazine devoted to the Miami Rock en Espanol audience, which includes 30 to 35 bands, agrees. "In South America where the movement is really big, the music reflects a message (more relevant to) third world countries-- political issues and social issues. (Here), they're trying to find their own identity."
Both Pasada and Garcia-Rivera note that the biggest barrier to a real boom in the scene is local radio. That's largely due to the fact that there's such a big tropical music audience in Florida. To offset that limitation, Posada hosts Fuego Rock on WQBA - 1140 AM and Garcia-Rivera hosts a short-wave radio rock show on RMI (Radio Miami International) that's heard as far away as Europe. "I'm getting flooded by labels who can't get airplay elsewhere." says Garcia-Rivera.
In the Orlando market, DJ Leony, host of Club 11Q (WONQ 1030 AM), and James De la Raza, host of La Mega Melaza (WLAZ 88.7 FM), manage to play some Rock en Espanol during both shows. Leony says it is also included on his station's playlist. "Tropical music is so much bigger. The people who listen to Rock en Espanol (its relative importance) to tropical music the same as alternative music to rock," says Leony.
Most followers of the movement feel the barriers are only temporary and many continue to position themselves to be ready for the big break, including musicians from other states. The main reason De la Raza moved to Orlando from New York was to develop his band, Raza.
"Latin music is expanding and its ingredients are interchanging with American pop, rock, hip-hop, house... (and conversely) traditional salsa and traditional ballads are now being integrated with American standards." De la Raza attributes that to the fact that music is a universal language.
Ultimately, Florida lies on the cusp between an American convention and it innovative reinvention. It's a position that offers the blending of languages, ideas, myths and passions of different peoples and cultures working together, living together and making music.

-Sonja Mongar