Maldita Vecindad

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Maldita Vecindad
Maldita Vecindad in November 2006
Background information
Also known as	La Maldita
Origin	Mexico City, Mexico
Genres	Rock en español, Ska
Years active	1985–present
Labels	BMG, RCA, Nacional Records
Associated acts	Inspector, Café Tacuba

La Maldita Vecindad y los Hijos del Quinto Patio (English: The Damn Projects (as in housing projects) and the sons of the fifth 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 Mexico.

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 hits, 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 Pachucos.

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 Stereo, 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 the celebration of 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 800,000 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 No More 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.

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 Patio (1989)
• El Circo (1991)
• En Vivo: Gira Pata de Perro (1994) live
• Baile de Máscaras (1996)
• Mostros (1998)
• Maldita Sea, Vol. 1: 1989-1999 (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 José" (1998).
• La Tormenta, from the album "Juntos Por Chiapas" (1998).
• Los Agachados, from the album "Viva Tin Tan: Tributo a Tin Tan" (2005).