Mexican bands embrace Jamaican sounds

The musical influence of Bob Marley is felt all over the world, and one country that has embraced reggae and ska music is Mexico.

So when two Mexican bands got the opportunity to journey to Jamaica and immerse themselves in local culture, they jumped at the chance without a second thought. Members of both the Sangre Maiz band and the Out of Control Army visited the island, ecstatic to perform at the Bob Marley Tribute Concert last Friday, and to showcase their interpretation of Jamaican music to an appreciative local audience.

The Out of Control Army band is 10 years old, and most of the members first heard of Marley because his songs are regularly played on the radio. Esteban Flores is the keyboard player and the only English speaker in the eight-member band. He said that they are the first Mexican ska band to ever play in Jamaica. He stated that growing up, most of them did not understand everything, but they got the social context, as the people of Mexico can relate to fighting for freedom, fighting corruption, loving your fellow man, and treating everyone as equals.

"It became the foundation of our music. Bob's lyrics are not too far off from what we Mexicans have been through. For myself personally, his music speaks to perseverance and upliftment. Also, you cannot stay sad after listening to Bob's music, especially when you hear the roots stuff, as he definitely had fun during his rude boy era of dancing, smoking, falling in love, etc. The older he got, he was more conscious of the socio-political issues happening in Jamaica, so his lyrics grew on me over the years," he said. The band members visited the Alpha Boys' School and will be doing a recording at Tuff Gong Studios before they leave.

The members of the Sangre Maiz Band, which is based in Mexico City, were introduced to reggae pretty early in their childhood. Guitarist Cisman, the English speaker in the group, stated that the six-member band has been around for 16 years and that reggae music is very popular in Mexico.

"Marley's music is limitless. His influence is ongoing and is part of the universal culture that we embrace. English is not our first language, so we had to do a little bit of research and look up the meaning of some words to get a better understanding, but once we got there, it was impactful," he said. The band will also travel to Ocho Rios to perform at a tribute concert for Jimmy Cliff.

For Mexican Ambassador to Jamaica, Roberto Martinez, it is a proud moment to have both bands in Jamaica and to witness how the Jamaican people have accepted what they have to offer.

"We are very grateful for the opportunity to have them here. This fusion of Jamaican and Mexican culture is really amazing, as we can see the synchronisation of the two rhythms working together. There is a person who, though she is no longer directly at the embassy, continued to have dialogue with the bands and was instrumental in getting them here. They both made such a positive impact tonight (Friday) that now we are hopeful that the Out of Control Army will be back in September for our national day celebrations," he said.