Molotov (band)
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Molotov | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Origin | Mexico City |
Genre(s) | Rock en Español Rap rock Alternative metal |
Years active | 1995-present |
Label(s) | Universal Music |
Website | www.molotov.com.mx |
Members | |
Tito Fuentes Paco Ayala Randy Ebright Micky Huidobro |
|
Former members | |
Javier de la Cueva Iván Jared (La Quesadillera) |
Molotov is a two-time Latin Grammy Award-winning Mexican rock and hip hop band formed in Mexico City on September 23, 1995. Their lyrics feature a mixture of Spanish and English, rapped and sung by all members of the group. Musically, Molotov blends heavy basslines with heavy guitar riffs. Many songs, such as "Gimme Tha Power" and "Frijolero," are politically inspired, addressing issues such as disenfranchisement within Mexico and immigration in the United States. The band's lyrics are risqué, playful, and frequently aggressive. They recently returned from a three year absence and released their 6th album.
Contents[hide] |
[edit] Biography
Everything began in the middle of 1995 when two friends, Tito Fuentes (guitar) and Micky "Fled" Huidobro (bass), got together and started playing. On the 21st of September of the same year, Javier de la Cueva "J" and Iván Jared "La Quesadillera" joined them becoming the first line up for the band (although La Quesadillera later left and was replaced by Randy Ebright, the only American-born member of the band). Around February of 1996 Javier left the group and Paco Ayala took his place. Throughout 1996, the band played in many underground locations in Mexico City and began to have a small group of fans. Their success finally came when they opened for Héroes del Silencio in Monterrey and later for La Lupita in Puebla. During a concert in which they opened for Illya Kuryaki and The Valderramas, talent hunters from Universal offered them to record an album. It was a difficult period, and the band had to sell cassettes during the concerts while they prepared their album.
In July 1997, they released their debut album ¿Dónde Jugarán Las Niñas?, which took its name partly from Maná's album ¿Dónde Jugarán los niños? generating a great amount of controversy with stores refusing to sell it because of its lyrics and cover. Molotov went out to the street to sell their discs as a form of protest. The lyrics include a mixture of politics, sex and expletives, a fact that almost literally got them banned from Mexico, and caused them to move to Spain for some time.
Molotov received a recognition without precedent for a hip-hop group in Spanish. Urban publications such as Vibe said about them: "[Molotov's music] is incendiary by nature… with darts poisoned aimed directly to the heart of the oppressive paternalism of the government. They've become the Latin response to our Rage Against the Machine."
Molotov released Molomix, an album with remixes of Donde Jugarán...?, including a version of the classic Queen song "Bohemian Rhapsody" titled: "Rap, Soda and Bohemias," and a new song: "El Carnal de las estrellas," as a response to Televisa's refusal to air the band's videos.
In September 1999, Apocalypshit was released and the band toured Europe, including Russia. In 2001, after a couple of years of touring, they took a rest by contributing to the soundtrack of the films Y tu mamá también and Atlético San Pancho, as well as by participating in tribute albums for José José and Los Tigres del Norte.
They were part of the Watcha Tour 2000, which included 17 shows with Los Enanitos Verdes, Aterciopelados, Café Tacuba, and A.N.I.M.A.L.
In 2003, the bands new album, Dance and Dense Denso, was released with the Grammy-winning single, "Frijolero," which became the band's biggest hit to date.
In 2004 the band released Con Todo Respeto, which consisted of covers of groups such as The Misfits, Beastie Boys, ZZ Top, and Los Toreros Muertos.
On January 18, 2007, Molotov's official website addressed a separation rumor, saying that it could neither be confirmed or denied but that more information would be coming soon.[1] A few weeks later, the band confirmed on its website that it would indeed be touring and posted dates starting April 3 in Ventura, California, and ending April 15 in Dallas, Texas. Despite no official break-up update, many radio stations are announcing the tour as Molotov's last.
In 2007, the band released its Eternamiente album (A joint of Eternally [Eternamente] and he lies [Miente]) with the hit song "Yofo."
[edit] Controversy
The band also faced a further hurdle when one of its songs was interpreted as a slur against homosexuals. The song "Puto" (literally man-whore; "puto" in Mexican Spanish means gay male, similar to the American slang word "faggot") was actually supposed to be about those who will not stand up for themselves. In Mexico, like many other parts of the world, homosexual slurs are also used to refer to "unmanly" behavior such as cowardice or cheating. As a result, Molotov's first tour in Germany was met by crowds of angry gays and lesbians. However, this information was not widely circulated until much later.
In defense of the band and its use of the word "puto," producer Gustavo Santaolalla told an interviewer from the Spanish language rock and roll magazine Retila:
“ | About the homophobic thing, I'll clear that up now: in the song 'Puto,' the word is in no way used as an attack on the homosexual community at all. It's used like the word "turro" would be in Argentina, for example, a guy who is ...hmmm... a wretch, a loser, a bad-vibe guy. It's not an insult to a homosexual. The lyrics say, 'Puto, who takes away our grub/Puto who believes what's on the news...' It's directed specifically to that type of person. And as for the sexism, the songs are all made with humor and aimed precisedly at all that Latino-Macho mentality. | ” |
Santaolalla further compares the use of "puto" to Mark Knopfler's use of the word "faggot" in the Dire Straits song "Money for Nothing," which he mistakenly states was not criticized.
Despite these initial problems, the band pulled itself together, leaving its more major controversies behind. Since then it has produced popular albums with the most recent release Eternamiente in late 2007. Molotov's music has a large following in Mexico, where it is played frequently on some Mexican radio stations along with the United States and, to a lesser degree, Europe.
[edit] Members
[edit] Current members
- Tito Fuentes - Singer/Guitar (1995-)
- Mickey "Huidos" Huidobro - Singer/ Bass Guitar (1995-)
- Paco Ayala - Singer/Bass Guitar (1996-)
- Randy "El Gringo Loco" Ebright - Singer/Drums (1996-)
[edit] Former members
- Javier de la Cueva - Bass Guitar (1995-96)
- La Quesadillera - Drums ( 1995-96)
[edit] Discography
- ¿Dónde Jugarán las Niñas? August 26, 1997
- Molomix November 24, 1998
- Apocalypshit September 14, 1999
- Dance and Dense Denso February 5, 2003
- Con Todo Respeto October 26, 2004
- Con Todo Respeto (Limited Edition) September 2005
- Eternamiente October 16, 2007
[edit] Awards
¿Dónde jugarán las niñas?:
- Double Platinum Record in Spain
- Quadruple Gold Record in Mexico
- Golden Record in Argentina and Colombia.
- Platinum Record in Chile and United States.
Dance and Dense Denso:
- Latin Grammy for Best Music Video (Frijolero).