Maldita Vecindad
Encyclopedia
La Maldita Vecindad y los Hijos del Quinto Patio ( usually called only "La Maldita") are a band formed in Mexico City
in 1985. They are pioneers in rock en Español and are one of the most influential rock bands in Latin America.
They first made an impact with "Mojado", "Un poco de sangre", "Cocodrilo", "Pachuco" and "Un Gran Circo," which narrates the problems, adventures, and beauty of a society anxious to improve its economic status. Their wardrobe has incorporated elements of the Pachuco
, an archetypical
character represented by Tin Tán
in the Mexican cinema. Tin Tan is sampled in one of the group's biggest hit, 1991's Pachuco.
The last studio album recorded was in 1998. Since then, the band has collaborated with other bands, as well as having participated in tribute albums like the tributes for José José
and Tigres del Norte. Their sound incorporates many styles, including Ska
, Rock
, and traditional Cuban
forms such as the bolero
and Cuban Son. Roco, the band's vocalist, dresses in a manner reminiscent of the Pachuco
s.
, Los Enanitos Verdes
, Virus, Heroes del Silencio
, Autobús and Zas the band of Miguel Mateos
were among the first pioneers to play an Authentic Rock music in Spanish. Consequently, Mexican bands began to sprout. Many of these were influenced by groups like The Police
, The Cure
, Paralamas do Sucesso, and others. The early bands of the movement, Caifanes
, Maldita Vecindad, Café Tacuba and Maná
obtained exorbitant sales and great international recognition.
La Maldita Vecindad appeared on the music scene with a new style that was unheard of in Mexico at the time. It combined strong elements of Ska, Rock and traditional Mexican music. This included the attire of Roco inspired by the Pachuco
culture represented by Tin Tan, the incorporation of the sax and .celebrating the street culture of Mexico City
From 1986 to 1988, the band participated actively in popular movements like the one of the victims by the Earthquake of 1985 and the elections of 1988.
Their second album El Circo
turned them into a commercial success. The album reached over 800 thousand copies sold (a record-high then). In 1991, in its first U.S. tour, they played with groups like INXS, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Sonic Youth, Madness, Faith nonMore and Jane' s Addiction. by 1992, they were often compared with other great Latin American bands like Mano Negra
and Los Fabulosos Cadillacs
.
Throughout their career, La Maldita Vecindad has remained a creative force as it has also managed to create unique covers of songs by artists from strikingly different genres like Los Tigres del Norte
, Armando Manzanero
and Juan Gabriel
.
Their newest CD, Circular Colectivo, (Nacional Records 2010) maintains much of the ska/punk energy with a contemporary sound. The lyrics talk about the crisis that Mexican society faces in a rapidly changing global economy while paying tribute to Rahsaan Roland Kirk and Ernest Ranglin. The production by San Francisco based producers, Greg Landau (Susana Baca, Patato Valdez, Quetzal) and Hector "Hecdog" Perez, helped the band craft a new path in Mexican music. The CD features two cameos by Cuban pianist Omar Sosa.
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
in 1985. They are pioneers in rock en Español and are one of the most influential rock bands in Latin America.
They first made an impact with "Mojado", "Un poco de sangre", "Cocodrilo", "Pachuco" and "Un Gran Circo," which narrates the problems, adventures, and beauty of a society anxious to improve its economic status. Their wardrobe has incorporated elements of the Pachuco
Pachuco
Pachucos are Chicano youths who developed their own subculture during the 1930s and 1940s in the Southwestern United States. They wore distinctive clothing and spoke their own dialect of Mexican Spanish, called Caló or Pachuco...
, an archetypical
Archetype
An archetype is a universally understood symbol or term or pattern of behavior, a prototype upon which others are copied, patterned, or emulated...
character represented by Tin Tán
Germán Valdés
Germán Genaro Cipriano Gomez Valdés Castillo , better known as Tin-Tan, was an actor, singer and comedian who was born in Mexico City but was raised and began his career in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua. He often displayed the pachuco dress and employed pachuco slang in many of his movies, some with his...
in the Mexican cinema. Tin Tan is sampled in one of the group's biggest hit, 1991's Pachuco.
The last studio album recorded was in 1998. Since then, the band has collaborated with other bands, as well as having participated in tribute albums like the tributes for José José
Volcán: Tributo a José José
Volcán: Tributo a José José is a 1998 tribute album to Mexican singer José José.Paying homage to José José for his influence on Latin pop music, the album was recorded by several popular Latin artists such as Molotov, Cafe Tacuba, Julieta Venegas, Moenia, Beto Cuevas, and Aleks Syntek.The main...
and Tigres del Norte. Their sound incorporates many styles, including Ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
, Rock
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
, and traditional Cuban
Music of Cuba
The Caribbean island of Cuba has developed a wide range of creolized musical styles, based on its cultural origins in Europe and Africa. Since the 19th century its music has been hugely popular and influential throughout the world...
forms such as the bolero
Bolero
Bolero is a form of slow-tempo Latin music and its associated dance and song. There are Spanish and Cuban forms which are both significant and which have separate origins.The term is also used for some art music...
and Cuban Son. Roco, the band's vocalist, dresses in a manner reminiscent of the Pachuco
Pachuco
Pachucos are Chicano youths who developed their own subculture during the 1930s and 1940s in the Southwestern United States. They wore distinctive clothing and spoke their own dialect of Mexican Spanish, called Caló or Pachuco...
s.
History
At the end of the Eighties a movement called "Rock en tu Idioma" (Rock in Your Language) began, and a marketing phrase was developed by record labels to draw attention of young people to the new current trend which began in Argentina. Influential bands like Soda StereoSoda Stereo
Soda Stereo were an Argentine rock band who are recognized as one of the most influential and important Latin American and Ibero-American bands of all time...
, Los Enanitos Verdes
Los Enanitos Verdes
Enanitos Verdes is a successful rock trio from Argentina, formed in 1979 in the city of Mendoza...
, Virus, Heroes del Silencio
Héroes del Silencio
Héroes del Silencio was a Spanish rock band from Zaragoza, Aragón, Spain, formed by Juan Valdivia and Enrique Bunbury. During the 1990s they experienced success around Spain and the Americas, and in various European countries including Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, France, Serbia and Portugal...
, Autobús and Zas the band of Miguel Mateos
Miguel Mateos
Miguel Mateos is a rock singer/songwriter from Villa Pueyrredón, Argentina. Outside of Argentina, he is considered one of the most important exponents of Rock en Español, specially in the 1980s when he along with Charly Garcia, Soda Stereo, Enanitos Verdes, Virus, Sumo, Fabulosos Cadillacs, Rata...
were among the first pioneers to play an Authentic Rock music in Spanish. Consequently, Mexican bands began to sprout. Many of these were influenced by groups like The Police
The Police
The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For the vast majority of their history, the band consisted of Sting , Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland...
, The Cure
The Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...
, Paralamas do Sucesso, and others. The early bands of the movement, Caifanes
Caifanes
Caifanes is a Spanish-language rock band from Mexico City formed in 1987. They achieved fame throughout the late 80’s and early 90’s. The original lineup consisted of Saúl Hernández , Sabo Romo , Alfonso André and Diego Herrera . Argentine guitarist Alejandro Marcovich joined in 1989...
, Maldita Vecindad, Café Tacuba and Maná
Maná
Maná is a pop rock band from Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, whose career has spanned more than three decades. They have earned three Grammy Awards, seven Latin Grammy Awards, five MTV Video Music Awards Latin America, five Premios Juventud awards, nine Billboard Latin Music Awards and 13 Premios Lo...
obtained exorbitant sales and great international recognition.
La Maldita Vecindad appeared on the music scene with a new style that was unheard of in Mexico at the time. It combined strong elements of Ska, Rock and traditional Mexican music. This included the attire of Roco inspired by the Pachuco
Pachuco
Pachucos are Chicano youths who developed their own subculture during the 1930s and 1940s in the Southwestern United States. They wore distinctive clothing and spoke their own dialect of Mexican Spanish, called Caló or Pachuco...
culture represented by Tin Tan, the incorporation of the sax and .celebrating the street culture of Mexico City
From 1986 to 1988, the band participated actively in popular movements like the one of the victims by the Earthquake of 1985 and the elections of 1988.
Their second album El Circo
El Circo
El Circo is an album recorded by Mexican rock band Maldita Vecindad y los Hijos del Quinto Patio. The album was released on 1991-09-24 under the BMG Entertainment Mexico label...
turned them into a commercial success. The album reached over 800 thousand copies sold (a record-high then). In 1991, in its first U.S. tour, they played with groups like INXS, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Sonic Youth, Madness, Faith nonMore and Jane' s Addiction. by 1992, they were often compared with other great Latin American bands like Mano Negra
Mano Negra
Mano Negra was a music band in France, during 1987–1995, fronted by Manu Chao.The band, founded in 1987 by Chao, his brother Antoine, and his cousin Santiago Casariego in Paris, France, was very influential in Europe during the early 1990s. Although it reached mainstream success in countries...
and Los Fabulosos Cadillacs
Los Fabulosos Cadillacs
Los Fabulosos Cadillacs is an Argentine ska band from Buenos Aires. Formed in 1985, they released their first album, Bares y Fondas in 1986...
.
Throughout their career, La Maldita Vecindad has remained a creative force as it has also managed to create unique covers of songs by artists from strikingly different genres like Los Tigres del Norte
Los Tigres del Norte
Los Tigres del Norte is a norteño-band ensemble based out of San Jose, California, hailing from Rosa Morada, Sinaloa, Mexico.- History :...
, Armando Manzanero
Armando Manzanero
Armando Manzanero Canché is a Mexican musician and composer of Maya descent, widely considered the premier Mexican romantic composer of the postwar era and one of the most successful composers of Latin America....
and Juan Gabriel
Juan Gabriel
Alberto Aguilera Valadez , better known by his stage name Juan Gabriel , is a Mexican singer and songwriter who is one of the most famous living representatives of the Mexican ranchera, ballad, mariachi, and pop music....
.
Their newest CD, Circular Colectivo, (Nacional Records 2010) maintains much of the ska/punk energy with a contemporary sound. The lyrics talk about the crisis that Mexican society faces in a rapidly changing global economy while paying tribute to Rahsaan Roland Kirk and Ernest Ranglin. The production by San Francisco based producers, Greg Landau (Susana Baca, Patato Valdez, Quetzal) and Hector "Hecdog" Perez, helped the band craft a new path in Mexican music. The CD features two cameos by Cuban pianist Omar Sosa.
The name
In Mexico City, "vecindad" (literally meaning "neighborhood") refers to residential constructions that were built at the end of the 19th and at the beginning of the 20th centuries. Still inhabited today, these residential areas share one or more large patios and common areas such as bathrooms and laundry facilities, basically because the rented rooms do not have them. The more patios a "vecindad" has, the more populated these buildings are and therefore the poorer it tends to be. The name "and the children of the fifth patio" indicates the urban and working origins of the band.Lineup
Members of the band use only pseudonyms.- Roco: vocals
- Tiki: guitars (1985–1988)
- Pato: guitars (1988–94, 1997-current)
- Aldo: bass
- Pacho: drums (1985–2002)
- Sax: saxophones, trumpets, and guitar.
- Lobito: percussion (1988–93)
Discography
- Maldita Vecindad y los Hijos del Quinto PatioMaldita Vecindad y los Hijos del Quinto PatioMaldita Vecindad y los Hijos del Quinto Patio is the self-titled debut album recorded by the band Maldita Vecindad from Mexico City. The ska-induced long play was released on October 26, 1989 under the RCA International label.-Track listing:# Apañón# Rafael...
(1989) - El CircoEl CircoEl Circo is an album recorded by Mexican rock band Maldita Vecindad y los Hijos del Quinto Patio. The album was released on 1991-09-24 under the BMG Entertainment Mexico label...
(1991) - En Vivo: Gira Pata de PerroEn Vivo: Gira Pata de PerroEn Vivo: Gira Pata de Perro is a live album released by Mexican rock band Maldita Vecindad y los Hijos del Quinto Patio. Their third album was released on February 1, 1994 under the BMG label.-Line-up:* Roco: vocals* Aldo: guitars* Pato: bass* Pacho: drums...
(1994) live - Baile de MáscarasBaile de MáscarasBaile de Máscaras is the fourth album recorded by Mexican rock band Maldita Vecindad y los Hijos del Quinto Patio. The LP was released on May 7, 1996 under the BMG label.-Track listing:# "Viva mi desgracia "# "El Chulo"# "Por ahí"...
(1996) - MostrosMostrosMostros is the fifth and last studio album recorded by Mexican rock band Maldita Vecindad y los Hijos del Quinto Patio. The LP was released on September 15, 1998 under the BMG label.-Track listing:# El Malasuerte# Patineto# El Cocodrilo# El Teporocho...
(1998) - Maldita Sea, Vol. 1: 1989-1999Maldita Sea, Vol. 1: 1989-1999Maldita Sea, Vol. 1: 1989-1999 is a greatest hits album released by Maldita Vecindad y los Hijos del Quinto Patio. The best songs from their previous five albums are included on this compilation, as well as one track from a tribute album to José José.-Disc 1:...
(2000) greatest hits - El Tiempo Vive en la Memoria 1989-2004, Vol. 1: 1989-1999 (2004)
- Circular Colectivo (2009)
Compilation albums
- Rock Mexicano. Lo Mejor De: La Maldita Vecindad y los hijos del quinto patio. (2001)
- El tiempo vive en la memoria 1989- 2004: 15 Años de Éxitos Maldita Vecindad. (2004)
Selected collaborations
- El Circo, from the album "El Mas Grande Homenaje a Los Tigres del Norte" (2001).
- Amnesia by Inspector, from the album Alma en Fuego (2002); also featuring Café Tacuba.
- Lo Pasado, Pasado, from the album "Volcán: Tributo a José JoséVolcán: Tributo a José JoséVolcán: Tributo a José José is a 1998 tribute album to Mexican singer José José.Paying homage to José José for his influence on Latin pop music, the album was recorded by several popular Latin artists such as Molotov, Cafe Tacuba, Julieta Venegas, Moenia, Beto Cuevas, and Aleks Syntek.The main...
" (1998). - La Tormenta, from the album "Juntos Por Chiapas" (1998).
- Los Agachados, from the album "Viva Tin Tan: Tributo a Tin Tan" (2005).