By Santiago Rivas @rivas_santiago
Photo: Simona Malaika @simonamalaika
These are my impressions of the bands I had the chance to see yesterday. I apologize to my friends to whom I promised to go see Dub de Gaita, but I got caught up in Total Chaos, which was a whirlwind. Now, here are my comments.
Triple XI'd heard them before, and I really like their sound. They do play well, with a good blend of punk, rockabilly, and psychobilly, but their gratuitous misogyny bored me. I may be a fool, but by the third dedication addressed to "women and their vaginas that inspire us" I ran away, terrified; boring too.
Chancha Via CircuitoIts completely mystical, almost hypnotic style isn't a sound that aligns with people's idea of Rock al Parque, but it was exactly what it needed. Not just me, There were many people dancing in a kind of trance, fascinated by the lead singer., She seemed more like one of those mystical healers—perhaps she is—or a character from a Jodorowsky film. A lovely experience.
The Royal Academy of SoundIt has a new, larger combo format and they are indeed more robust, they feel stronger and that's great, because They have a sound that works really well, festive and combative, very appropriate for the festival, I think so. I'm sure we'll see them on stage often.
Total ChaosGreat band. These "children" of Suicidal Tendencies have a powerful punk sound, with political commitment, forcefulness, and strength. To be punk you need courage, and that's why the best punks are, in the end, the freest. Free, except for the singer's lower half, which was trapped in trousers that were very close to being leniency. But that never happened, and it doesn't matter anymore.
Zalama CrewA great debut at Rock al Parque. They got everyone dancing. Their music is quite polished and very catchy. Powerful lyrics and music. I'm a fan of theirs, as you've probably noticed, but There are many bands I like that would never fit into Rock al Parque. They should be signing up for 2016.
The CoupMy festival band. The stars of the show. Chilango Páez had already warned me about them, and rightly so. They're a band that combines hip hop, funk, rock, soul, and some heavier elements, all while creating eloquent and perfectly danceable music. They have attitude and all the flavor in the world and on top of that, to top off this happiness, they are endowed with a fighting spirit that makes them immensely relevant. Big band.
IlabashThis project, born within the working group that Elkin Robinson maintains with Llorona Records, got everyone dancing with purely island rhythms. Traditional music, presented in a way that fits perfectly at Rock al Parque (at least as it's conceived now, thankfully). It is It's incredible how elegantly a "traditional" or "folk" music group can get everyone dancing at a "rock" festival.“, And please excuse the excessive use of quotation marks.
Sierra Leone's Refugee All StarsWith some of the most respected men to have ever set foot in Simón Bolívar Park, this band came out, quite rightly, to give a masterclass. We all expected it, in a performance that teetered between festive and solemn. Their sound is impeccable, but their added value, at least for us Colombians, is that they bring many of their roots intact; That purely African nuance makes it very interesting music, in which we can discover a lot about our own music. And dance, and dance.
Atara Teenage RiotOne of the most relevant bands in a world controlled by corrupt, lying, and malicious corporations and governments. I had my doubts, because the chances of people taking the digital hardcore They sounded like electronic music, they were huge, especially in a city so conservative about what it considers "heavy." They swept everyone away, so we all shared the same joy: Sonic complexity, completely unleashed beats per second, three distinct voices in its register, samples clean, clear speeches (even in English). Anarchists always set the bar high.
NortecHe said goodbye like a legend. Full band, tuba in the middle of the audience, everyone jumping. They are so polished with their sound, so Mexican (from the north, of course), so clean and so full of vibe, that no one will ever be able to take their place.. Unfortunately, I couldn't watch them all, but luckily I managed to watch them for a while.
Koyi-K-UthoIt's sounding good, compact, dense, and robust, as a band that prides itself on playing industrial metal should sound. Their instrumentation has become more complex, and they now have more and better percussion., Although I missed the double bass. They're dramatic, which helps them a lot, and people love them. They did two covers, as far as I could tell, one of Sepultura (Refuse/Resist) and another of The Prodigy (Breathe). The first was better than the second, but the songs were well chosen. They're a good band. But they already know that.
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