Calle 13 on Multiviral art project, censorship, philanthropy, immigration and Obama
Con un álbum en el que participan músicos, novelistas, actores y agitadores mundiales, un proyecto de artes visuales, un corto animado, una fundación,…
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With an album that features musicians, novelists, actors and global agitators, a visual arts project, an animated short video, a foundation, presidential meetings, a record for most Latin Grammys and nine more nominations this year, there is no doubt that there is no band like Calle 13.
For the first Philadelphia show of the performers of “Atrevete-te-te” on Sept. 27 at the Merriam Theatre, lead singer Rene Perez Joglar, a.k.a. Residente, talked to AL DÍA News about topics that are as diverse as their projects.
About "Multiviral" as an artistic project beyond simply music:
“From the beginning we wanted ‘Multiviral’ to have, in addition to the music, a visual arts element, including animations, murals in the street and different types of art. That’s why the album features different artists, writers, musicians, actors, and branches out into the arts, literature and also activism. Julian Assange, Eduardo Galeano, Tom Morello and John Leguizamo all participated.”
About "Multiviral" as a global visual and mural arts project:
“When I saw what an artist had created riffing off ‘Multiviral,’ I came up with the idea of calling others, and the idea of making art around the word went viral. In the end 15 artists participated in this project. Next year we want to have an exhibit.”
About the possibility of Having a "Multiviral" mural in Philadelphia:
“We haven’t connected with any artist but it would be great to meet one. I know that Pepon Osorio, an artist from Puerto Rico who does installations and whose work I studied when I was in art school, lives in Philadelphia. It would be great to meet him”
About the recent launch of the new animated short video of "Así de grandes son las ideas":
“That animation is something that I’d been wanting to do for a long time. I worked for a year with Quique Rivera, and wrote the song —which is really a story— thinking about an animation. We made that project on the side and most likely we’ll work together in other projects.”
About the polarization caused with their lyrics and censorship:
“That polarization happened at a given moment, but I don’t feel it as much anymore. The concept of Calle 13 is a lot clearer now for a lot of people so they are willing to defend it. Most of them know what’s going on”
About the philanthropic side of Calle 13:
“We’ve always contributed to charities inside and outside of Calle 13. Sometimes we collect food, clothes or toys in concerts. Other times we make a donation and people don’t find out about it. Right now we are working on a music book that we want to donate to schools in Ecuador.”
About the possibility of having a political career or formalizing their activism with a foundation:
“A political career? I don’t think so, but we do have a non-profit called ‘Todo se Mueve’ ('Everything Moves') to support artistic education and projects. I hope that with everything I have to do by the end of the year, in December, when I get to be with my family, I’ll have time to get organized and figure out what I want to do with the non-profit that is so important.”
About the universality of their lyrics and the songs inspired by the United States:
“We play songs that speak to everybody. The song ‘La Bala‘ (‘The Bullet’) is not only for Mexico or Puerto Rico. In the United States they also kill people, whether it’s the soldiers, a crazy person in an airport, or someone with mental problems that kills 10 people. That is something that happens and is universal.”
About immigrants in the United States:
“‘Pa’l norte’ (‘To the North’) is a song that was written thinking about what happens in the United States. Although there are problems with immigrants in other countries, in the United States they’re bigger problems because of they way immigrants are treated, the laws and racism. It’s similar to what happens in Europe with people from Africa.”
About the presidents that he has met... and the ones he hasn't:
“I’ve talked to ‘Pepe’ Mujica, from Uruguay; Cristina Fernández, from Argentina; Hugo Chávez when he was still around; Evo Morales, from Bolivia; Rafael Correa, from Ecuador; I also met Daniel Ortega, from Nicaragua. It’s not like I get along with all of them, I just met them and listened to them. Just like with Obama, there are many things I’m against when it comes to the way governments deal with some things — in the United States just like in Latin America — but that doesn't stop me from talking to them.”
About the possibility of meeting President Obama and talking with him about Puerto Rico and political prisoner Oscar Lopez Rivera:
“We would talk about many things. It would be very cool to have the opportunity to talk to him (...) Since I’m Puerto Rican, the government of the United States is my government. Even if I don’t want to admit it, the reality is that I have a president and it is Obama. I didn’t vote for him but he’s my president.”
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