Meet the Band: Monareta

Written by Hilda Gabriela Tuesday, 04 November 2008 03:09

Riding on a memory through a symphony of sounds.

The place is Bogotá, Colombia. The year 1980ish. An underground musical movement as well as cocaine trafficking is on the rise in this once indigenous land of vibrant colors. Amidst the terror of mob activity and irritated by negative stereotypes that dimmed the country of its once welcoming light, was a movement led by young individuals who took to restoring the uplifting spirit of the land. Through music and dance, the break dance and freestyle street bike scenesters were singing, dancing and riding their way to a restored and proud Colombia.

As music in its tendency to transcend borders often does, the street scene of bike riders and artists found itself heavily influenced by American bands such the Beastie Boys and Public Enemy. In the realm of that culture and in local bars in Bogotá, street bike riders Andres Martinez and Camilo Sanabria began mixing those new wave sounds with that of traditional Colombian beats. But Andres and Camilo have come along way since then. In homage to the bikes that they rode as kids, the duo now goes under “Monareta”. They currently tour the U.S. with that same eclectic sound that made them a popular act in their earlier years-except now, under Nacional Records. “People in Bogotá are mostly used to the conventional folklore of percussions and such,” states Andres regarding the acceptance of their music in Colombia “so when two martian-looking guys with bike wheels on their helmets step on stage, their natural tendency is to be drawn back.” Nonetheless, with the help of their label that also houses musicians such as Aterciopelados and Nortec Collective, the duo has managed to win over conventionalists within and outside of their Colombian borders playing important musical conferences such as Colombia’s Rock Al Parque, SXSW and LAMC where they first caught the eye of their now record label.

Not too Shabby

After moving from Bogotá to New York, releasing 2 digital albums with Nacional E, having a musical participation in the movie “La Mujer de mi Hermano” and in the television series “The Chicas Project” (mun2), Monareta released their first tangible album “Picotero” in early October. “Living in New York and growing up in Colombia have both shaped the sound of our music which can be heard in our album,” explains Camilo. “This album is a compilation of the work that we released digitally as well as the new sounds that we’ve been exposed to in New York.” The production of the album was as diverse and eclectic as is their music. Inviting a friend or musical guest here and there and feeding off of each other’s vibes resulted in the ska-vallenato-nortec-electro sounds that make up “Picotero”.

Before beginning the production of two music videos, Monareta currently wraps up their U.S. promotional tour for their latest release. According to the duo, the plan is to inject Asia, Europe, Central and South America with their fusion of experimental sounds in 2009. “The over all purpose of our music is to create a festive environment much like that of the true spirit of Colombia,” states Camilo “and these bicycle helmets with their spinning wheels will create just that- a musical impact wherever we play.”

 Their endeavors as musical performers and the weighs of life have kept the pair from riding as often as they did. The streets of Bogotá have been swapped by stages across the world, mics and synths have replaced their once cherished Monareta bikes and the Colombian night breeze that once forcefully made its way into the nooks and spaces of their bike helmets has been imposed by that of new terrain. Nonetheless, the spirit to ride, to express, and to uplift is still of essence to Monareta. According to Camilo, with “Picotero” and all future projects, Monareta will continue to musically reinvent themselves by entertaining and voicing the echoes of the true spirit of Bogotá, Colombia.

Check out Monareta's CD review for "Picotero" here ! 

 

 

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