Mexican Rock Pioneers Maldita Vecindad On 'Circular Colectivo' Release, Upcoming Tour

By Daniela Capistrano

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It has been a long, twelve year wait for Maldita Vecindad fans, but Nacional Records has confirmed that their new album 'Circular Colectivo' will hit stores March 30th. SXSW attendees celebrated with them at SXSW on Wednesday, where they performed at Antone’s.

'Circular Colectivo' maintains the band’s signature high-energy ska/punk style with conscious lyrics that tackle the economic and social crisis in Mexico.

The track "Chacahua (El Grito De Luz)" is a tribute to the often-neglected African presence within Mexico, while "Corrido Para Digna Ochoa" is a techno corrido that explores the story of the human rights activist who was murdered in 2001.

“‘Circular Colectivo,’ is like the universal symbol of unity,” lead vocalist Roco explains. “The cycle of life, the information that passes from mouth to mouth, the circles of peace and dance, the blood in the body, the movements of the people, of the towns, the hearts of everyone beating together at the same time.”

“We’ve never stopped playing and so throughout this whole time, we’ve written so much new material,” guitarist Pato says. “Finally, we put the songs to tape and we are so pleased with the result.”

‘Circular Colectivo’ also features musical guests such as Cuban jazz piano great Omar Sosa as well as the band’s first instrumental tracks.

You can catch the group in Long Beach on April 16th, where they will be performing at the Toyota Grand Prix. For all tour updates, visit the official Maldita Vecindad MySpace page.

Forming in 1985, Maldita Vecindad began performing in Mexico City’s underground circuit, developing an original fusion of rock, ska, and traditional folk rhythms. Their sophomore release ‘El Circo’ was a landmark album for Latin rock, selling a record-breaking 700,000 copies in Mexico alone, which was unheard of for a supposed underground act.

Tr3s Comunidad, who is your favorite rock artist? Tell us in the comments!

Tags Circular Colectivo, Maldita Vecindad, Omar Sosa, Rock, SXSW