Roberto doesn’t disappoint!
“México lindo y querido”, yes indeed! Those of us that have made it over can attest to that phrase, as Mexicans are really welcoming and the country has a rich ancestral culture, add the food and the scenery which make Mexico a place worth visiting a thousand times over. With that said, I’d like to coin a new phrase: “La músicia Mexicana siempre sorprende”. That roughly translates into: “Mexican music will always surprise you”. I note that the country is without a doubt the epicentre of música en español. Historically, acts from hispanoamerica have ‘made it’ upon winning over Mexican audiences, to then return home proudly wearing the much sought after stripe. A stripe of respect. That can perhaps explain my affinity with the Mexican scene, a scene that has given us icons such as Juan Gabriel and Luis Miguel, chart topping trip hop Plastilina Mosh and Control Machete, pop princess Julieta Venegas, and the reining kings of the desmadre Café Tacuba.
…After this intro, I should maybe try to get a job with the Mexican Ministry of Culture or Tourism writing adds…But enough of this Chabelo moment!, I take to the zine to interview the mero mero Roberto Mauricio Martinez, A.K.A. The Poetry. Jokes aside, and getting back to my newly coined phrase, this is an artist that has surprised me, and I now have the pleasure to interview on Music is Prana.
MY: I’m intrigued by the words of ‘Out of my Body’: “Somebody is flying / maybe could be my soul…that is somebody / Out of My body”. When I reviewed it, my reading was that this song had to do with an out of body experience, is that the case? If not, what are you trying to convey? What is this song about?
RM: Yes of course, Ever since I was a teenager, I’ve been drawn to mysticism, darkness and supernatural things, as well as melancholy. Is funny, I remember watching Youtube tutorials on how to have an out of body experience.
Someone close to me told me about his experience in a crude way, but I could see the fear in his eyes. A lot of people are terrified of such experience. Nevertheless, I believe there are those with very advanced mental capacities.
MY: In this song you channel Paul Banks’ –via Ian Curtis- croon, Kraftwerk textures, and Gang of Four drums, yet you manage to make it your own, as in it sounds like the Poetry. Did you get into post punk before writing the song, or did you realize that it had that flare afterwards? Who were the guys on the posters while growing up?
RM: Post punk, new wave and brit pop have been part of the soundtrack of my life. The Cure is my favourite band. For this song I was inspired by bands like modern English, New Order and the first album by Ministry. I wanted the song to be dark and danceable at the same time.
MY: In the intro I mentioned the Mexican scene which largely -and rightfully so- has acts singing in Spanish. Nevertheless, over the years there have been bands coming out of Mexico singing in English. Namely, Rey Pila, le Butcherettes, and now the Poetry. What drove you into using English as opposed to Spanish (or another language)? Would you say it is a reflection of globalisation, where English has become the world’s lingua franca?…..I ask myself that every morning as I live in Madrid, and perform and run a music zine in English.…
RM: Well, it is true that there are many native Latin musicians who venture on doing music in English. This has happened since the 1960s, bands like «The Revolution of Emiliano Zapata» from Guadalajara that had the song «Nasty Sex» as a hit in the United States and Europe.
Some people say “Dude, it is not your mother language, you will not be able to convey a real feeling.
…OMG, if Anglo pop stars sing in Spanish, why can’t I sing in a language I’m not a native of?
I’ve been singing and writing in Spanish my whole life, also I am in another indie rock project in Mexico City. In the case of The Poetry I see it as an opportunity to break stereotypes and demonstrate that the people who live in LATAM and Spain are doing really innovative things.
In my case, I do not rule out crafting songs in either language in the future.
MY: For the video of the song, the credits read edited by Roberto Martinez and filmed by Daniela Solis. Tell us about your collaboration, how did it come about? Did you have an idea in mind and thought of her to translate it into film? Did she approach you? What is the concept behind the video?
RM: For this project, and particularly for that song, I applied the do-it-yourself (DIY) concept. Improvisation is something that has been part of my life. When doing this video I wanted it to have the same vibe as when I’m doing a show or performance with any project. Therefore, I resorted to a simple scenography with candles which symbolise removing bad energy from the environment.
For the shooting, Daniela and I basically improvised with the scenes as we wanted ‘Out of my Body’ to embody the ‘low fi’ genre.
MY: Finally, we now live in the digital era and music is now longer subject to the totalitarian monopolies of classic outlets like radio and TV, the internet allows it to move freely at a global scale. As an artist, do you feel that digital platforms are making scenes in general more “democratic”? Mexico is a big country, yet I assume Mexico City has been the dominant cultural force. Is the internet allowing artists from other provinces reach other parts of the country? Are there examples of these artists drawing Mexico City audiences to them? Tell us about your own experience.
RM: I think Mexico City is like a Latin American Hollywood, this city processes all artists, most of them from another states or from South America.
I lived in Mexico City for about seven years and I can tell you that the competition is enormous, a lot of very good projects looking for a place in the industry, every time there are fewer venues, and you have to go through corrupt promoters who just want to get a cut of what you are supposed to be getting.
I definitely feel that in these times of crisis, the industry is more equitable since the internet is a weapon in our favour. It is up to us the artists to break stereotypes as this will allow us to get the attention of the vast LATAM fans and scene.
Catch more of The Poetry here:
