New Musica: Calle 13 Talk "Los Que Quieran"

By Simone Hilliard

November is officially new music month! Kanye West, Nikki Minaj, Justin Bieber, Rihanna, Pink, Kid Cudi, Kid Rock, N.E.R.D, and more are all scheduled to drop some of the most anticipated albums of the year later this month. And while Tr3s is eagerly anticipating the upcoming hip hop, rock, pop, and R&B that will inevitably be added to our iPods, the one album at the top of our playlist request list is Puerto Rican duo Calle 13’s fourth studio album Los Que Quieran, which hits stores November23^rd.

Image : Wikimedia

The LP promises to be a mix of genres and sounds that tackles a range of topics including personal freedom, cultural unity and conformity. What else would we expect from the socially conscious alternative rappers!

Our pals over at Latina.com spoke to the usually quiet Eduardo José Martínez (aka Visitante) about the music and his controversial partner in crime. Here’s what he had to say:

What does “Entren Los Que Quieren” mean to you?

"It means that everyone’s invited to enter. If you don’t want to, well don’t."

What are some of the musical influences in this record?

"'Calma Pueblo' has a Beastie Boys vibe. Mars Volta’s Omar Rodriguez participated in that track, which has a rock edge to it. “El Baile de los Pobres” has a Bollywood vibe with electronica and strings. We mixed South American rhythms together for a song called “Latino America.” The album is both strong and soft."

Was there any sound that you refused to use?

"We said no to reggaeton. I wouldn’t do anything with bachata. But you can never say never. I never thought I’d make a merengue song [like “Vamo’ A Portarnos Mal”]. Anything can happen."

You have some great collaborators on this record—Susana Baca, Totó La Momposina. Who else would you like to work with?

"It would be awesome to work with Bjork and Paul McCartney."

What’s your favorite track on the album?

"'Preparame la Cena.' It’s a song about being imprisoned. Sometimes you can be imprisoned and still be outside. The song is going to be used for [the HBO Latino series] Capadocia."

You guys have made a lot controversial songs. Do you ever disagree with Rene about an issue?

"In this album there’s a song about love—I mean love, love, love. I didn’t agree with that song. I have my issues with love. Love is a complicated topic."

What’s next for Calle 13?

"We’re putting together a documentary about our trip to Havana. We have to go back and finish it. It’ll be out next year. We also want to do another trip like the one we did in Sin Mapa. But that’s just a conversation at this point."

Are you counting down Calle 13's new release? Sound off in the comments, or @MTV3.

Tags Calle 13, Entren Los Que Quieran, Justin Bieber, Kanye West, Kid Cudi, Kid Rock, N.E.R.D., Nikki Minaj, Pink, Residente, Rihanna, visitante