Venezuelan Punk Band La Vida Bohème 'Democratizes' World Music at Austin's Pachanga Fest
This article is part of Latin Post's On the Road series. Follow our adventures at #LPOTR.
As a musician, having freedom of speech, access to information and exposure to the world music scene, whether in English or Spanish, not only enhances the art, but enriches life. This, says Venezuelan punk band La Vida Bohème, is what motivates them to create powerful music.
But it's also bittersweet for them to see their friends and fans in Venezuela, who use their music as an outlet, continue to endure ongoing food shortages, currency regulations, labor issues and social unrest after months of violent protests and a goverment crackdown.
Through its music and social media, La Vida Bohème has been vocal about the dismal situation, which is especially difficult for native Venezuelans to watch from afar.
Yet the band, who won a Latin Grammy for "Best Rock Album" in 2013, is very optimistic when it comes to the future of music for Latino millenials, who are an essential part of their audience.
"It's going to a more democratic place — at least in the whole world music scene," La Vida Bohème's lead singer Henry D'Arthenay told Latin Post during the Pachanga Latino Music Festival on Saturday, May 10 in Austin, Texas.
"Because nowadays for kids, music in English and music in Spanish — the line it's starting to blur. We all grew up listening to Michael Jackson, so now it isn't different or isn't strange to listen to some Chilean music that actually reminds you of Michael Jackson, but has a twist," D'Arthenay said. "I am very optimistic for the future of music because I feel the boundaries between each nation, they will become more blurred and people will start connecting more for music independently of the language."
La Vida Bohème, which includes lead D'Arthenay, Sebastian Ayala, Rafael Perez Medina and Daniel De Sousa, performed on the Hierba stage at the Pachanga Fest, which features Latino-created art and music from traditional and contemporary, indie, rock and alternative to cumbia, ranchera, electronic, hip-hop, and others.
La Vida Bohème also performed during the Pachanga Fest's pre-party on Friday, May 9 at the Empire Control Room & Garage, where the crowd created a mini-mosh pit and tore a piñata into pieces in sheer excitement.
Austin, Tx! GRACIAS por acompañarnos a celebrar. Próxima parada: este jueves en @PatanegraMX ( foto por @mviphotos ) pic.twitter.com/NAtBseusKs
— La Vida Boheme (@vidaboheme) May 13, 2014
The band's second album "Será" is comprised of 15 tracks that blend electronic, rock, punk, disco, merengue, joropo, calipso waltz and lay. "The lyrics are sad, but the music forces you to move your feet. It's a reminder that in our country we even dance at funerals and that we cry with rhythm," D'Arthenay adds. "If [our first album] Nuestra was an attempt to translate what we were seeing from the outside looking in, Será is an attempt to translate what's inside to the outside."
According to Billboard, "on Feb. 12, after the deaths of three demonstrators led to an explosion of social outcry and responding violence in Venezuela, D'Arthenay posted a video for La Vida Boheme's song "Cementerio del Este/Cementerio del Sud" (Eastern Cemetery/Southern Cemetery) dedicated 'to our dead.' The video shows the Caracas landscape at night covered with neon crosses. The sober image changes as the crosses appear to dance along to the music and then rise as if in resurrection."
The band hopes to provide an escape from hardship and bring happiness to the people of Venezuela, or anyone who is having a difficult time. It also recognizes the power of communication.
"We are very happy to be millennials — we had access to information that our parents didn't have access to and it wasn't expensive to access it. The Internet has democratized us. That information has allowed us to make our own take on punk or genres that actually started many years before we came and started from different nations than the nation we were born into. So, we're pretty optimistic about the future of music in that sense, at least in Latin America, or with Spanish-speaking music."
La Vida Bohème will tour Mexico, beginning with Mexico City. The band also hopes to perform in New York City in July 2014.
Check out the band performing one of its hits, "Radio Capital" at Vive Latino 2014.
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