Search - Tijuana No :: Contra - Revolucion Ave

Lively provocative set

Enrique Torres | San Diegotitlan, Califas | 06/02/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

"You have to add a half star to this disc for sheer raw energy, guts and no glory. Tijuana No is a local band of sorts(across the border) that plays with a lot of enthusiasm and in a style that is a grab bag of ethnic pop/ punk/ska. They also dip into some hip-hop as in the song "Stolen at Gunpoint," which was produced by Frost. The group has highly controversial political lyrics, that given the current(disc came out about 5 years ago) political climate might not be popular. An example of their explosive lyrics can be found in "Stolen at Gunpoint" where the song shifts from English to Spanish and Spanglish. In the song there are references to then Gov.of California Pete Wilson, stolen land from Mexico, Panch Villa, schools that lie in their textbooks and fighting back with weapons of culture and a work force. Their political scope goes beyond the local border as evident in "Renace en la Montana" that sings of the Tupac Amaru in Peru. A sample from the song,"Tupa Amaru, guerrillero Inca, En Pie de Lucha desde La Conquista, El publo Peruano renace en la hisoria, con fuerza y valor hasta la victoria." This is not to say it is all about politics, but they camouflage it in their music. They also have this bouncy post Blondie sound when Cecelia Bastida takes over vocals on certain tracks. One of the songs she wrote, "Nadie Dijo Nada" starts with a frenzy popish beat with her beginning in English "Nobody saw nothing, nobody said nothing, we're painting the walls with peace,"then she rips into her song like machine gun fire. On "Spanish Bombs" she sings in both English and Spanish and if you didn't know better you'd think it was nuwave circa 1980's. It has a happy popish feel to the song that is retro. The other singer is Luis Guerena who has a different style completely, much more punk and in your face. Take "Travel- Trouble", it is an all English anarchist diatribe that culminates with the lyrics, "No countries, no flags, no systems, no politics, no armies, no wires, no pasports, no language, no boundaries, no treaties, no ideologies, no religions, no colors, no walls, nobody should stop you it's your Earth anyway."I've seen this band live several times and they are as enegetic and explosive as ther lyrics. The band is definitely of the mosh pit variety. Not exactly the gentle side of rocnEspanol and most definitely a force of youthfull exuberance. The CD cover is one of the best in recent years that is a three panel mural like collage of imagery that is absolutely wild. All the lyrics are included in the booklet and easy to read. The fact taht you can read them is not a given considering some of the "artsy" effects used on some discs. BTW, the title of the disc is a play on words of the famous tourist main drag in Tijuana, Revolucion Avenue. If you have never heard of them, check them out, they have plenty to say."