When one hears the music of Quitapenas one may think it is Cuban, one may think it is Brazilian, one may think it is Peruvian. And in a way, it is.
This San Bernardino-based band reawakens Tropicalia tendencies with a mixture of homegrown guitar technique, lively and ever-present African drums and a romantic Latin-American sensibility. And though none of the members are of African descent — to their knowledge — they identify their music as Afro-Latin.
I saw the band move attendees to dance to their music and drawing the crowds to ask for encores. I was impressed.
“What does Afro-Latin mean to you?”
Before revealing that they chose the Afro-Latin label simply because they fell in love with African beats, Mark Villela, who plays percussion with maracas and a guacharaca, said “we’re all from Africa, technically.”
Aside from the necessary conversation some will start on the subject of cultural appropriation, one must recognize that everywhere an African person set foot, they impacted the surrounding culture in a fundamental way. The sound of the band feels familiar precisely because it is, to a certain extent, already imbued in Latin America.
That was evident at the Afro-Latinx Festival, where the diverse crowd at the Afro-Latinx Festiva ended the soiree by dancing, in whatever way they were taught, to what sounded like their grandparents’ music. The members of Quitapenas recognized this from the stage, noting that the audience did not show up and dance to support the band, but instead participated because they felt a connection to the music.
They agree that events such as the Afro-Latinx festival unite the community because anyone can enjoy it — party music transcends intersectional conflict.Quitapenas primarily played songs they are set to release over the next two months.
This show wasn’t Quitapenas’ first at the Museum of Latin American Art, but the band said that it was evidently the most engaging — lucky for them, as they say they perform better with an energetic audience.
If the crowd is dynamic, the band matches that energy. There is a symbiotic relationship that forms between the crowd and the band; a give and take that amplifies the quality of the performance. For example, when the crowd engages, it encourages congero Eddie Valencia and helps him give a better show. When the audience dances, Villela pivots his hips and dances to the Cumbia rhythm. This is the reason the band enjoyed playing at Tropicalia 2018 in Long Beach, it was “festive” and “fast-paced.”
Villela said that though they went on early in the day, “it was still poppin’.”
The crowd was large and lively at MoLAA, still energized even after dancing to the two preceding acts, Lidereibugu Garifuna Ensemble and ABADA Capoeria.
Each person danced a different style — collectively spanning across salsa, mambo, merengue, rumba, bachata, bomba, plena and beyond.
According to Quitapenas, the leading factor for the vastness of the gathering was no cost admission.
All five members of the band are Mexican, yet their sound is not only inspired by Mexican music, but by all sorts of Latin sounds — and their individual musical interests outside Quitapenas of their membership in the band spread across all genres.
Guitarist and vocalist Danny Gomez acknowledged direct inspiration from the original Tropicalismos of Brazil, citing the uniqueness and political subversion of cultural purism — he explained that he believes that celebrating who you are and not excluding others are equally important.
He stated that if their music had political messaging, it would be to underline the beauty of inclusivity, equality and love.
However, they focus less on messaging and more on a certain feeling. They are not only inspired by the diversity of Latin American music, but also by the aesthetics of the 60s, 70s and 80s.
They call their music liberating, and it is — because they are true to their name : “Quitapenas,” meaning “remove worries” — and their self-assigned mission, “to make you dance and leave you without a worry.”
Origin stories and the process
Most of the members of Quitapenas knew each other outside of the band. Gomez and Valencia were friends growing up, they met Chavez in high school, Villela in college — McCormick and cowbell-ist David Quitero joined later.
This comradery lends itself to the creative process, which for the band errs on the serendipitous. Gomez said that they just jam and whatever happens, happens. They might riff off each other with synergy. Sometimes one member might bring a fully-formed idea.
Valencia added that the more experience they have as a band, the easier it becomes to bring an idea to the table and allow other band members to make it their own. He also said that since all the members are open-minded, one person taking charge for a particular song is not a problem.
As for the live shows, what they focus on is being in the moment and experiencing it with everyone else.
Mas Tropical
Quitapenas does not have much music out, but the style is fully developed. Yet, from one song to the next, different influences are apparent.
For the bridge of their song “Justicia,” off their 2015 album QUITAPENAS, the band appropriates an iconic instrumental phrase originally featured in Aquarela Do Brazil.
In the version by Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil and João Gilberto, it is folksy and psychedelic. In the Gal Costa version, it is stylistically garrish. In the Antonio Carlos Jobim version, it is sophisticated and airy. Though it is all the exact same phrase, Quitapenas manages to combine all three aesthetics into one colorful picture.
The guitar sounds like it was lifted from a surf-rock song and permuted the phrase earlier in the song. The drums give the track a Caribbean feel. The approach to the vocals, a call and response, feels Mexican.
Later on the album, they sing about fruit and birds in the song Papaya. The song cements the aesthetic as well, and as usual, the bouncy percussion is zestful and contagious. Meanwhile, the saxophone and guitar create a sensual but robust vibe reminiscent of songs like “La Vaca, Mu by Mala Fe.”
In the band’s latest single, Tranquilidad, an organ splits the difference between The Doors and the Bossa Nova genre. This combined with the metallic percussion and warbly guitar give a psychedelic vibe. Whether intentional or not, the simple vocal harmonies sound like folk music. One could imagine that it is a good song to listen to while high in Joshua Tree.
However, the most iconic song in the band’s repertoire is Mas Tropical. It is like the band’s theme song. Mas Tropical has even become the official Instagram hashtag they use.
The saxophone sounds like Tijuana. The drums are truly postmodern. It’s impossible to pick out one influence from this amalgamation of everything. The guitar sounds beachy, but specifically Latin because the middle sound’s isolated to produce a round sound.The saxophone sounds like Tijuana. The drums are truly postmodern. It’s impossible to pick out one influence from this amalgamation of everything. The guitar sounds beachy, but specifically Latin because the middle sound’s isolated to produce a round sound.The saxophone sounds like Tijuana. The drums are truly postmodern. It’s impossible to pick out one influence from this amalgamation of everything. The guitar sounds beachy, but specifically Latin because the middle sound’s isolated to produce a round sound.The title speaks for itself and calls to mind an abstract paradise set in a heightened reality where everything is more tropical. It’s easy to forget your worries when listening to this song.
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