Mexican culture and music have a wide variety of influences. Much of their early music comes from German and Polish settlers from several hundred years ago that played accordions, guitars, and trumpets. Then you can add in the Spanish influences, the Caribbean coast that has the rich African sounds and then, of course, the United States that dominates to the North. The Mexican music scene has always had it’s independent streak while adding in the various sounds, melodies, instruments, and compositions from their neighbors. One of the better homegrown bands that sing in the Alternative Mexican Rock genre is called “Riesgo de Contagio” or “Risk of Contagion” as one would say in English.
The Members And The Beginning
Gordo (which means “Fat” in Spanish) plays the keyboards, Fernanda does vocals and plays the lira, Fayo does vocals and Baja, while Adrian plays the bataca. Finally, Tono also does the lira and DJ Boy is the turntable specialist. The band is out of Mexico City, Mexico, which is one of the hotbeds of rock music in the country. The other typically hot rock and roll birthplace being near the US border at Tijuana. Fayo and Gordo are brothers and the two original members of the band.
They have their roots also in the US since they had lived there for 14 years before returning to Mexico. They sometimes call their music “Rock Cochino” which means Pig Rock in English, it is similar to punk rock with a Mexican flare to it. When they first struck out on their own with a demo song, they knocked on every door of every radio station in town and played their song on the Rockola, which is the word for the Juke Box in the local bars.
Now, after more than ten years of playing together they have over 300 concerts under their belts, playing in Canada, the US, Mexico, and farther South as well. They’ve opened for the American rock band the Fabulous Cadillacs and played in the Festival Vive Latino. In addition, they have also done telethons to help raise money for earthquake victims from their native Mexico.
In December 1995 Awards
Their song Me Muero Por Saber Como Tear Te Quiero was given the title of number 62 on the Rock Top 250 songs of the 1990s. With that success, the band soon gained a recording contract and released their first album called the “Un Domingo Familiar” or “The Family Sunday” which was on their own label Discos Cavernas. The same album with a few more songs was rereleased in 1997 under the Opcion Sonica label out of Mexico City.
At the Our Rock Awards, they were awarded the Best Independent Rock Album of the Year for 1997. And their song “Un Nuevo Juguete” or “A New Toy” was recognized as the number one played a song on the Orbita radio station in Mexico City. At the same time, MTV played the video on cable TV. The band began to tour the US under the “Warped Tour” marketing banner and sang mostly songs from their original first two albums which were released under the album title De Puro Chocolate.
After that success, there were a series of changes to the band, the drummer Cubo left to seek other fortunes and the turntable specialist DJ Boy died. But, the vocalist Alejandra returned helping the band reboot.
They have last released an album in 2011 entitled Pasos de Baile which means “Happenings of Dance” roughly. They continue to tour and are planning on releasing more albums in the future. They are active on Myspace and anyone wishing to follow them or just say hi can easily find them there.
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