It was on May 5th where I had the opportunity to speak with Luz from Y La Bamba as they were on the road to their next destination as they will soon reach The Gremlin on May 11th. What could you expect, well speaking to Luz she shares a few words on the tour, the recent album Lucha and a discussion that began out of just speaking on the themes/messages of their music. Here is this week's interview with Luz.
For someone as myself who has not listened to Y La Bamba and having Lucha be my first experience. While listening to Lucha I was ready to take notes after a long week of work and working on an exhibition and side projects. I just sat back on my chair, opened up my drink and took a deep breath. I just listened.
Listening to Lucha made me feel nostalgic for a summer's day being a kid. A kid walking into the kitchen and hearing my mom’s radio playing her favorite Spanish station. I enjoyed the first listen reminiscing and thinking about a couple of the songs that played. This made wonder, but to someone such as myself who listened to Y La Bamba for the first time does, Luz have any song recommendations for anyone as they says "It’s hard for me to be like 'hmmmm yeah check this out out or yeah this album is hella nice' because since I’ve started my sound has not been the same. Along with my music I’ve just been evolving, so everything is not exactly the same you get me? I can’t exactly pick something (as they laughs), but through a couple of these early shows we are playing an unreleased song called 'Crema De Melon' a song you can't find anywhere else." While there is no real song recommendation or album recommendation to give yourself a peak into what to expect during the show. I was originally going to go in blindly to this show before I listened to Lucha. The sound in its entirety within my first listen just had in the moment and now I'm curious about that special little treat, a treat called "Crema De Melon" during their set.
With Y La Bamba on tour, how has this tour been? As Luz says "It's been great seeing the people come out and create a safe space at that moment is great." Reading into their bio Luz mentions "“I hope that I find a community that protects it and protects me, because they know I have their back." Finding community, creating community, and the importance of space spaces are to be discussed and brought up. Let's give Luz and her friends, Y La Bamba in it's entirety a warm welcome and create a welcoming space the night of the show.
While asking Luz what she's looking forward to from The Valley and the most important question appears "What I really want to know is where good food is! While on the road buying or goods from the usual stops and new boots. I would really want to know the spots. What to see and what to eat in the valley." I mention downtown Mcallen. Where you can see various shops, snacks, and the people. I remember once walking by the Mcallen Heritage Museum and someone was playing the accordion across the street. If they get here early in enough it'd be something nice to check out since it's nearby Gremlin.
Speaking on the album, Lucha. Lucha was born out of isolation at the advent of COVID-19 lock-downs. When it comes to Lucha, the album explores love, queerness, Mexican American and Chicanx identity, family, intimacy, yearning, loneliness—and chronicles a period of struggle and growth. When it comes to art I know it can at times just be meant for the artist, but I know once work is out there it can be like a mirror to others. Which leads me to ask, what would you like to evoke from the listener who listens to this album as Luz says "While this album is me in its entirety. While putting myself out there and having my vulnerabilities in the air for everyone to know. It isn’t everything I want someone to see because I’m a person. I’m Luz and yes sometimes I can be like looking into a mirror, huh." More on the album as bio their mentions "a period of struggle and growth" as Luz continues to add in by saying " I never want to demonize suffering, because that is part of growing. Growing is something that is not brought up in conversation. How can we grow if we don’t have important conversations? I’m 41 years old and 1 year away from being ancient (they laughs) so I know that the conversations that are happening TODAY aren't what we had growing up! Cuantos años tienes?" they ask me as I reply by saying 26 as they exclaims "cuando yo era chica yo me puse la calladita porque así era la cosa. El machismo, el patriarcado, es controlado por el hombre. Los tios y los hombres de las familias ya sabes come es. Y tu sabes porque pos you’re a dude right? Tú si me entiendes. Naciendo por el otro lado entendemos cómo son las cosas." They're not wrong as I was raised in Reynosa growing. I grew up hearing remarks and seeing the tios in the family act and encourage behaviors to the young ones. Behaviors on how they should be, how men should be. From growth until adult hood as it continues by those we surround ourselves with and what we see. Luz adds in by stating "pero si también conozco la matriarchy, pero de las mujeres en mi vida. Como mi tia ella si mandaba en la casa." With this ,Luz has a song in her album called "Nunca" that is dedicated to their mom. They way Luz expresses what their mother went through and the matriarchy of these powerful women in Luz's life.
Listening to the album starting off with "Eight" these are the lyrics that I noted down "“la vida, la muerte” “I’m coming home” “don’t be afraid of losing time”
With the bio I read stating “Lucha was born out of isolation at the advent
of COVID-19 lock-downs” and does this happen to be related to these lyrics? The mental strain that came with the lock-downs isn’t something to take lightly because it’s true. When I spoke to Luz about the track “eight” I also asked, from what I read and I just want to fact check with them…is this your final album? As Luz expresses by saying “there is just a lot to unpack here. The mental health that I carry. I’m a person, I’m a queer 41 year old mexican american, chicanx and I just don’t know what I want to do. I ask myself if I want to keep going on tours. Do I want to keep making music? It’s just a mental strain on myself and I should take care of myself. So I just don’t know."
On "Dibujos De Mi Alma" these were the lyrics I noted down “Cuanto tiempo, cuanto tiempo sin hablar contigo” “¿para qué perder el tiempo?” the repetition of time caught my attention along with“Extraño tu manera cuando andabas conmigo.”
The longing, the attachment, but the cost of “Aunque duele.”
The final song we spoke about. The song is called "La Luvi De Guadalajara" the frequency as if Luz is wanting to reach out to somebody, feels like being in space. The way the frequency changes until Luz speaks, I like that. “Hear me out for once” “I need you to listen” “Don’t take it for granted” as I read out the lyrics Luz mentions "This is a song for my brother. Being the sister of numerous siblings and at times I’m just lonely. It’s a call. It’s a call to reach out. Easier said than done. Let others know your call for love. Let others be aware of what’s going around. You get me?" I mention that yes people should reach out, but Luz exclaims“si pero como hablabas que la ayuda y la terapia mas antes y te decían ay no mija nomas ponle todo a jesucristo. Es la religión y las maneras de la generación de nuestros padres que no va cambiar pero ahora que si estamos en la generación que sí hay que quebrar el ciclo comenzando con el hombre. ¡El hombre le da miedo a platicar de sus sentimientos! Si es el primer paso sabes? La cultura del hombre, la cultura del machismo." Machismo is a endangerment to men. The idea of men don't "cry" or "shouldn't talk about their feelings" and just bottle things up is awful. Living my the border and knowing the oppression men from other men for not being "men."
Before our connection was lost Luz and I were talking about music as she mentions her youth and the first songs that impacted them. Music is very important to Luz. What’s funny is that we were opposite in this sense. From the very first song she heard from nortenos, corridos, and well Spanish music in general it’s what she is tied to. While I was surrounded by this music as well and my family being in bands I did not have a music like identity until the age of 14-15 years old. Just until recently listening to classics my mom would have played on her radio I finally understood.
Let's give Luz a warm welcome May 11th at The Gremlin
Bandcamp -----> https://ylabamba.bandcamp.com/album/y-la-bamba-lucha
Photos by
Jenn Carillo - @jennisradd
Jimena Zavala Lozada - @jimena_zl
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