Authenticity Over Novelty

07/09/2001 1:00 PM, LAUNCH
Bryan Reesman

Thanks to the current "Latin explosion" mesmerizing American media lately, every record label has been trying to exploit musicians whose ethnicity or music has ties to the Spanish-speaking world. But let's face it--simply having a last name like Lopez while performing pop tunes or sampling bongos and Spanish guitars in a house mix makes one about as Latin as Pat Boone is metal. There are some artists, however, who really are expanding the boundaries of Latin music, and on its sophomore album Union, Puerto Rican metal band Puya proves it is the real deal. As drummer Eduardo Paniagua declares: "If we're going to do it, it has to be genuine."

While Puya's major-label debut Fundamental spotlighted an animated blend of salsa and funky Latin jazz with new-school metal ferociousness, Union truly showcases Puya's immense potential by enhancing both sides of the group's music: The sound of roaring guitars and earthy Latin percussion makes for an explosive combination. Both Paniagua and singer Sergio Curbelo beam when they hear this.

"Thank you!" exclaims Curbelo. "It's exactly what we wanted," agrees Paniagua. "I'm stoked, dude," adds the singer. "Everybody's getting it, everybody's understanding it. Everybody says exactly what we set out to do with this record. They hit it right on the head."

The Puerto Rican quartet was very aware of the novelty factor of a "salsa metal" band when it unleashed Fundamental back in 1999. "It definitely was being perceived [that way] at the beginning, because it was so different," confirms Curbelo. "But I think a lot of people changed their minds once they saw us live. That turned it around. We let 'em know that we want to be around for a while. When we get up onstage, we mean business."

"One of the things that we tried to change with this record," adds Paniagua, "was to let people know that we're essentially a heavy rock band. We have songs in English as well as in Spanish. But the main purpose that we want to achieve is for kids that love heavy music to be able to rock to [our music], just like [with] any other band that they like, and not categorize it as rock en español or this or that. It's a rock band with Latin influences."

Even so, the band is undeniably a fusion group in its amalgamation of its Latin roots with modern heavy rock. "Somebody that is heavily into Latin music and salsa--even if they don't like rock too much--when they hear the percussion and Latin stuff [in our songs], they know that it's for real, that it's real players and people that know the language of music," Paniagua assures.

Many listeners already tuned into the vibe with Puya's last album. "Oasis," a song expressing pride for the band's Puerto Rican homeland, hit number one on metal radio, becoming the first Spanish language song to do so. The video for "Oasis" was recently listed in MTV's Best Metal Videos Of All Time countdown, while the song received an ASCAP award in 2000 for "Cancion Rock." Billboard also presented the band with a Latin Music Award for best rock/fusion album of the year for Fundamental. "We were singing in Spanish mainly, and touring the U.S. all the time with American bands," recalls Paniagua. "It definitely got a lot of attention. We did better than most rock bands singing in Spanish in the United States."

"We were fortunate enough to be able to make a second record," notes Curbelo. "A lot of new bands don't make it, and we were one of the fortunate few."

With the new Union--which was produced by GGGarth Richardson (Rage Against The Machine, Kittie, Mudvayne) and Mudrock (Godsmack, Powerman 5000)--Puya has further flexed its musical muscles. Aside from the band's four members, the CD features performances by renowned rumba percussionists Angel Cachete Moldonado (an eternal supporter of the band), Anthony Carrillo, Edgar Lebron, and Raphael Vargas, who has been touring and playing with the band for a year and a half and who has won a Grammy himself. Curbelo says that Vargas is the best bongo player in the world right now. Other guests include pianist Brenda Hopkins Miranda (sister of bassist Harold Hopkins), trumpet player Juancito Torres, singers Aurelig "Yeyo" and Eva L. Ortiz, percussionists Carlos Rodriguez and Jose De Leon, guitar player Gilberto Alomar, and guitarist John Dones (formerly of Puerto Rican thrashers Cardinal Sin).

It's an impressive collection of musicians. One should not be surprised by that, however, since Puya has actually been together since 1990 and steadily built up its reputation in Puerto Rico with fans and musicians alike before coming to the U.S. When asked if there is any likelihood that some of the band's well-known friends may come on the road with them, Curbelo replies: "We could afford to have them in the studio, but I don't know if we could afford to have them on the road." Either way, their presence has enhanced an album that could help break Puya through to a wider audience.

The language barrier has not been a problem for Puya. The group performs songs both in English and Spanish (and provide translations in its liner notes when needed). And when it comes to its lyrics, Puya explores serious themes rather than penning odes to sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll en español. "The kids look up to you, and for them, we feel like we have some sort of responsibility with the lyrics," explains Paniagua.

The song "Bridge" is an homage to the late Latin bandleader Tito Puente. "'Puente' in English is 'bridge,'" explains Curbelo. "At the same time, it's about a lot of things. As I was actually recording the song, I lost my cousin. It talks about crossing over to the other side, but it's also a song about positivity, about doing things, trying to realize your dreams today: Don't wait till tomorrow, start it today, do it today. Cross that bridge right now."

The politically charged "Pa'Ti Pa'Mi"--one of the album's Spanish-language songs whose title translates "for me and for you"--criticizes the military situation in Vieques, the island off the coast of Puerto Rico where U.S. Marines regularly perform combat exercises using live ammunition and real bombs. The band makes its message clear: "Look for she's crying to you/Because she's being abused/The machine is coming to destroy." Simply put: Get out!

Another track, "People," addresses the issue of racism, urging people to come together despite their color or creed. It echoes the name of the album, Union, which means the same thing in English or Spanish and, as Panigua observes, "unites those two worlds." Currently on the road with Fear Factory (another band with Latin members) until early August, Puya will be uniting fans all across the country.

The members of Puya may have developed camaraderie with other like-minded bands, but even so, given the current nu-metal wave that is sweeping the country, do they feel any pressure to compete with the never-ending supply of heavy bands? "Totally the opposite," asserts Curbelo. "Nobody sounds like us, and we don't want to sound like nobody, either. We want to be in the same genre, but we want to do our own thing. No pressure, man. If the world's ready for us, we're ready for the world. We've been waiting. If not, you know what? It'll happen at some point. We'll keep fighting till we get there." They won't be alone.