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The excerpt below was originally published in the February 2009 issue of El Paso Magazine by Lisa Garibay
El Paso Musicians Flourish Near and Far
by Lisa Y. Garibay
There’s something unique and oxymoronic about El Paso’s border locale that makes it both highly traveled yet pretty isolated. And its this funky duality that results in an arts and music scene rich with diversity, innovation and self-reliance.
Posted on January 29, 2009
FUGA
And then there’s Fuga, a native El Paso band that's been living in northern Cali for the past few years. They’ll be coming back for a hometown show on Friday, Feb. 27 at Take II (6315 N. Mesa) in celebration of the release of their second album, Relatos Rebeldes (Rebel Stories). The record—which takes its title from a piece by Mexican Revolution-era writer Ricardo Flores Magon—is officially released on January 30 and can be purchased via the band’s MySpace page, www.myspace.com/fuguista, or on CDBaby.com, in addition to any of their shows.
Fuga is Francisco Rodriguez-Glenn on accordion and vocals, Tania Rodriguez-Glenn on lead vocals and guitar, Leo Martinez on guitars, requintos and vocals, Oscar Gonzales on bass and Rafael Herrera on drums and percussion. For Relatos Rebeldes, the band collectively aimed “to be more of a musical act…to really dive into the musical traditions of Mexico and Latin America while at the same time creating something new,” says Francisco Rodriguez-Glen. “We wanted the discipline of the old school musicians combined with the stories that affect us now. It was extremely challenging sometimes but we didn't want to stay still and do the same thing…the album went in directions we didn't even expect, but we thought that was a cool thing and stuck with it.”
Subsequently, the recording process was demanding not merely on a craft level but also in terms of production and composition. “With our first album Desde la Frontera, it was about capturing what it was like to be playing music in El Paso and Juárez—it was very much of the moment and improvised,” Rodriguez-Glen explains. “Relatos Rebeldes, on the other hand, had us studying the influences we use in our music. We had the great opportunity of spending time with and studying under many maestros who helped clarify musical direction and these experiences helped us better develop our composing skills.”
Working with award-winning producer Greg Landau—who offered up more than 30 years of recording experience with artists like Maldita Vecindad, Patato Valdes, Juan de Marcos Gonzalez of Buena Vista Social Club, Pete Seeger and many others—also helped Fuga a great deal, giving them an understanding of how to get the most out of studio time as well as the editing and mixing processes. The learning curve for Fuga also included several line-up switcheroos, especially considering their relocation to the Bay Area. “What has not changed is the Kiko, Tania, and Leo combination on vocals and instrumentation,” Rodriguez-Glen emphasizes. “Our two new members have only added more dynamics and intensity to the live show while having the same musical spirit as we do.”
While the two records share the same passion for multiculturalism that Fuga has made their mission, the band wanted this new album to reflect life on a global scale rather than the border area that made them. “Living in the Bay area helped us understand that the struggles going on in the El Paso–Juárez region were a reflection of the struggles happening around the world,” says Rodriguez-Glen.
To spread the message of Fuga as widely as possible, the band will be hitting the road in February for a tour including 12 U.S. cities and nine Mexican locations, where the band will join up with renowned Mexican acts Maldita Vecindad and Panteon Rococco. The show in El Paso on Feb. 27—featuring El Paso’s Mexicans at Night and gypsy punk band La Caravana from Juárez—is loaded with meaning for the band for many reasons. “Coming home is always a little nerve racking,” admits Rodriguez-Glen. “The homies are always paying close attention to see what has changed for the better or worse. But that is why El Paso is important; it is a challenge to us and at the same time great to come home to people you love and to the place that continues to inspire the music. Our shows in El Paso and Juárez always rejuvenate us and help us fine tune what we are doing and how we represent El Chuco to the world.”
