As I hinted in my last BeerSaturday post, there is an awesome music group worthy of sharing, which has found its way onto the varied labels of a popular Mexican beer. The band is called Molotov, and I just happened to come across one of their discs around the time I first came to Mexico. It was a burned CD a kid was selling in the metro, with an image on the cover of the four members wearing heavy face paint. It was enough to get me curious, and in the end I found the music itself also quite enjoyable. I can't say that I have become a huge Molotov fan, but the band is certainly worth to check out, and there are a few great songs I would like to present for today's #ThreeTuneTuesday.
Wealth and Power, Cartels and Politics
These four things are closely related in any place, but especially in Mexico they define the world of the movers and shakers of the upper strata. This is also the topic of the song Gimme Tha Power, which may be their most famous hit from their first album ¿Dónde Jugarán las Niñas? (in English: Where are the girls going to play?) In its provocative lyrics, which is quite typical for Molotov, they describe the close relationship between organized crime groups and political parties, most notably the PRI, which was in power throughout the entire 20th century. What's interesting about this song, is that since its release it had been banned on the radio. Nevertheless, (or maybe precisely because of this), it could be heard anywhere, blasted from parties next door, or played by taxi drivers taking you to the airport.
English and Spanish, From Each One A Bit
Musical styles converge. Cultures bleed into each other. And languages keep borrowing from each other until it creates a big mish-mash. This crossover is also a key feature of Molotov, especially in their song Frijolero (in English: Beaner), addressing the situation on the US-Mexican border. Keep in mind, this song came out in 2003 on their album Dance and Dense Denso, back when lines were more clear-cut. As you would expect, the topics include drugs, arms, violence, and lots and lots of racism. In spite of such serious issues, the lyrics take a provocative tongue-in-cheek approach to them, including the racial slurs of gringo and beaner. What's also noteworthy is the music video, made in a style of cartoon pained over filmed images.
A Nod to Great Masters
The third Molotov song I would like to present is titled Amateur from their 2004 album Con Todo Respecto (in English: With All the Respect). This song is a remix of the hit Rock Me Amadeus by Falco, which itself is in turn a nod to Mozart. According to Wikipedia, Amateur also pays homage to The Beastie Boys as well as Udo Jürgens, though I honestly did not see it myself. As the title suggests, it deals with the issue of being a band of amateurs, or rather musicians before they have reached their big breakthrough. One thing I love about this hit is their hot-dog themed video clip. So take a look for yourself:
Keep Digging Deeper!
So if you enjoyed these three tunes, I recommend looking deeper into Molotov, as I am certain that you will find something you are bound to enjoy. Also, if you're not familiar with the #TTT challenge, take a look at this great weekly contest, created by @ablaze. If you would like to see other music related posts I wrote, take a loot at my Monday Music post collection.