1. Well at first tell me about your group, its history and last bands of everyone of your group. What sense of your band's name?
Hey How are you, thanks for the space, well the story goes back to 2017 in the city of Cañar - Ecuador where a group of friends met to do acoustic covers of Ramones and other artists. Later we consolidated, Martin Lema, Raúl Zhinin and I, Axl Guamán. We put out our own songs and play in the bars of the city and neighboring cities. Martin left for study reasons, Raúl and I began to record, but we delayed about 2 years in finishing the Project. On the first album, Ronny Zhinin and Omar Romero collaborated on guitar solos and bass lines. In 2021 we released our first studio album "Pasos Firmes" both in digital and physical format, cassette tape and we made a mini tour in the north of the country. New songs came out on tour and we have been working on an EP to be released in 2023.
The name of the band was given by Martin, it is a phrase from the Ecuadorian highlands to describe something impressive that means "you are the best". Raúl, for his part, had an Andean music band that later disintegrated. Martin is a singer-songwriter of indie, pop music. And I was in a thrash metal band and I've also collaborated with Andean music artists.
2. What is your recent song SHAMUNIMI about? As I understand, it is about the colonial past of Ecuador. Is it right? Why is it bilingual? Is the second language Quechua?
Shamunimi is our new single, which will be part of the EP. This song is about the violence and inequality that the indigenous people live and lived. However, it is also a way of showing the world the inequality and aggression that exists in Latin America by the State.
If the second part is sung in Kichwa, it is our root. Good to clarify that we come from indigenous families and belong to the Kichwa Cañari people.
3. Please tell me about things that inspire you for writing texts and music and about things that influence you (in creativity and everyday life).
Well, each one writes their own lyrics and in the rehearsal room the whole song is consolidated. We are inspired by the stories that our parents have told, in everyday life, on the street, in the mountains and in the reality of Society. We both analyze the lyrics, music, melodies and arrangements and we change and add as it flows.
4. How often do you play gigs? Is it easy to organize a punk-gig in Cañar? Have you ever played outside of your city?
When we started the band we have played many times in the bars of our city, then we have gone out to other cities like Cuenca, Azogues, Bibilian, Gualaceo, Ambato. And we have also played in Quito which is the capital of Ecuador with a great reception from the public.
In Cañar the scene is small so if someone does a rock concert in general, people attend whether they are punk, thrash, heavy, black or death bands. But as it is a small city there are not many concerts. As a band we have performed 3 concerts in the city with punk bands from Ecuador.
5. What of modern groups in the world are interesting for you and worthy of mark? Are there many punk bands in Ecuador?
Personally, I really liked Spanish punk and well, there are good bands all over the world. I really like La Polla Records, The Casualties, 2 minutes and Toni Montana and Daga from Ecuador.
In Ecuador there is a super strong scene in Punk. Every city has at least 2 punk bands; in big cities many more. among which stand out Mortal Decision, Notoken, Public Enemy, Kicking Stones, Plaza Malatión, among others.
6. What about your city? What are there bands, magazines? What relations between musicians inside punk scene?
Well as I said in my city there are currently only two punk bands Neurotikos and we La Bala. Among the Rock scene of the city if there is a good relationship of Friendship, sometimes some friends have played in the band when we were in trouble. In Cañar, Andean and cumbia music prevails. There is a respect between all with some exceptions.
7. Are important world or Ecuador events for you? Do you watch a TV news, take part in some kind of social or political movements and organizations?
I haven't watched TV in a long time, now it's all on social media. I follow alternative communication pages since the traditional ones have a bad reputation for the information they spread. I do not participate in any political movement, however I share a lot with the popular movement.
8. Drug traffickers killed prosecutor Luz Marina Delgado, who was fighting the drug trade, in Manta, a week ago. Is the drug mafia so strong in Ecuador now? How do you feel about drugs?
The situation in the country is getting worse. In recent years there have been many violent deaths throughout Ecuador. There is a division of power between drug traffickers and these deaths are caused by gangs belonging to criminal organizations. Prosecutor Delgado had controversial cases, she was a sentimental partner of drug trafficker Édison Washington. In 2018, he filed charges against soldiers Carmelo E. and Juan M. who were arrested with more than 1.1 tons of cocaine. The uniformed men received a sentence of 17 years in prison. Faced with so much insecurity, the authorities do not take action on the matter.
Drugs are a form of social control, and manipulation. On some occasion I have consumed, but I have stopped, for now only legal drugs haha.
9. What do you guys do in everyday life besides music?
We are students, Raúl studies cinema in the city of Guayaquil at the University of the Arts, and I study Social Communication at the Central University of Ecuador in Quito.
Apart from that, Raúl also works on the land, planting and harvesting products for sale.
10. What are band`s plans for 2022?
Well we don't have any specific plan, we have a couple of concerts scheduled, but nothing more, it's complicated by the University and the economic part. Let's also hope that the new EP goes well in the mixing and mastering process.
11. Thank you for the interview, anything else to add?
Well, thank you for the space and hope that there are links with more punks from around the world and eager to tour Russia
UPD (7 July 2022)
Can you tell me a little bit about the current protests in Ecuador? What causes them? Is the current protest similar to the 2019 protests?
The situation in Ecuador is complicated. The demonstrations that took place in June 2022 were to demand a decent life for all. Ecuador has been in crisis for much longer than the pandemic, it has been worse. the lack of education, health, work have been the main problems for people to protest. The mobilizations of 2019 were due to the price of fuel, which supposedly repealed the decree, however, later the president raised the price little by little.
So far this year, approximately 11,000 people have left the country due to lack of work. many friends and that's when one of the band's guitarists went abroad. And well, as our song says "There is no peace or rest, it only remains to protest"
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