Meme del Actual has been a part of the beloved Mexican rock band Café Tacvba for greater than 30 years. This week, the 56-year-old singer launched his debut solo file.
MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:
It is Friday, which suggests every kind of latest albums had been launched in a single day and at the moment are accessible to stream or purchase, in case you’re old style. We’ll focus right now, although, on a undertaking that was launched a few days in the past on the ultimate day of Hispanic Heritage Month. It’s the debut album by Meme del Actual from the band Cafe Tacvba, and it is referred to as “La Montana Encendida.”
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “PRINCESA”)
MEME DEL REAL: (Singing in Spanish).
KELLY: Anamaria Sayre hosts our Alt.Latino podcast, and I collect you (laughter) – can I insert that you simply’re chatting with us from Mexico, the place you simply bumped into Meme del Actual?
ANAMARIA SAYRE, BYLINE: (Laughter) I did catch him strolling his canine this morning.
KELLY: There you go. Celebs, musicians – they stroll their canines too. OK, we’ll hear all in regards to the new solo album, however begin with the band that del Actual grew up with and is launching from. That is Cafe Tacvba.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “ERES”)
CAFE TACVBA: (Singing in Spanish).
SAYRE: So what we’re listening to right here is without doubt one of the most basic Cafe Tacvba songs referred to as “Eres.” And it is truthfully actually laborious to outline Cafe Tacvba simply due to the magnitude of the affect that that they had and proceed to have in Mexico and in numerous Latin America. You can name them a Mexican various rock pop band, however actually what they had been is pioneers in creating this actually accessible and resonant sort of rock sound that had this unbelievable lyricism that basically spoke to the hearts of numerous Mexicans. They had been coming sort of on this period of rock en espanol, and so they actually redefined the style and what actually Mexican music was at giant.
KELLY: OK, so this new album, a debut album – uncommon in and of itself as a result of del Actual is in his mid-50s. What took him so lengthy to make this, “La Montana Encendida”?
SAYRE: You already know, he really says it by no means actually occurred to him. I imply, he was nonetheless creating music after Tacvba, nevertheless it wasn’t one thing that he wanted. He did not search for that highlight, search for that solo second. However he mentioned that mainly he labored on a music video, and he had this second the place he mentioned he realized what primary singer of Cafe Tacvba, Ruben Albarran, felt the entire time taking part in stay, and he needed to have that have. He had all of those songs within him, and it simply took the suitable second to essentially carry them out.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “TUMBOS”)
DEL REAL: (Singing in Spanish).
KELLY: Anamaria, as you hearken to this album, inform me what strikes you. What are you listening to?
SAYRE: I imply, what you actually hear is that this mix of all these completely different Latin American genres – boleros, bossa nova, clearly (talking Spanish).
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “TUMBOS”)
DEL REAL: (Whistling).
SAYRE: It is actually this distinctive sort of factor that I believe the world was solely prepared for, particularly Latin America, was solely prepared for proper now. He introduced on a legendary – in his personal proper – establishment, Gustavo Santaolalla. He is an previous composer, rockero from Argentina, was sort of equally actually instrumental in defining the music there. And so the 2 of them collaborating, I imply, they create this factor that feels prefer it belongs past even now, which is wonderful for an artist who has been round for thus lengthy.
KELLY: That is so fascinating. Yeah, you do hear all of the, like, conventional Latin sounds, however these songs really feel very completely different. I do not know if futuristic can be going too far, however one thing like that.
SAYRE: Undoubtedly. And one of many actually fascinating issues is that music from Mexico has been having a particular second prior to now few years.
KELLY: OK.
SAYRE: This style referred to as corridos tumbados, which is mainly a reimagined model of a hundred-year-old style referred to as corridos, has been breaking fairly actually world data. This – in some ways, a few of the songs on right here, particularly a tune referred to as “Embeces,” looks like sort of Meme’s response to all of this.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “EMBECES”)
DEL REAL: (Singing in Spanish).
SAYRE: It is like he sort of sat with it the previous few years, thought of it and got here again with one thing. And what you hear on this music is him taking ancestry and never simply bringing it into the current, however actually reimagining it on this tremendous nontraditional means that, like, not one of the younger guys are doing this. He does it on this actually inventive and fascinating means that feels prefer it belongs in no matter future we’re headed in direction of.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “EMBECES”)
DEL REAL: (Singing in Spanish).
KELLY: Anamaria Sayre, host of the NPR music podcast Alt.Latino. I hear you’ve upcoming (ph) Tiny Desk as effectively.
SAYRE: So they are saying.
KELLY: Congrats on that. So they are saying.
SAYRE: You bought to return up for one.
KELLY: I’ll stay up for it. We have been speaking about Meme del Actual’s new album. It is referred to as “La Montana Encendida,” and it is out now.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “EMBECES”)
DEL REAL: (Singing in Spanish).
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