"It's been a fucking long time since we Indians kicked ass around here, and Cuauhtémoc (México's great Aztec hero) was the fucking greatest of them all. But then a shitload of fucking Spaniards arrived and the fuckers fucked us over a thousand fucking times and took us all to hell. To stop these and all other fuckers from fucking us over, join the Zapatistas."
—Anonymous text from the Rhythm Activism song "They Fucked Us" by ¡Dang!
Yes indeed folks, the people's cabaret is free and open! Step right up and come on in. Rhythm Activism, all the way from Montréal, have come to sing, rant, play and act out their version of the Zapatista movement, the fabulous Magón brothers, the not-to-be-missed "muerte del capitalismo" [death of capitalism], and other related facts and tales. You'll witness passion, drama, humor, and radical grassroots struggle as depicted through Rhythm Activism's special hybrid of fönk music (folk + punk). Yes folks, this show will make the Mexican, US, and Canadian governments wish they had a bigger rock to smash the people with instead of poor old Billy Boy's Little Rock. Enough mental masturbating, now on with the review!
Rhythm Activism are a musical crew of anarchists whose previous offerings have addressed sexism, the National Front, and the Oka uprising. On their new CD, Blood and Mud, they are obviously inspired by México's strong culture of resistance. The title of the CD was lifted from a Subcommander Marcos quote stating that blood and mud are the costs of capitalism in Chiapas. The lyrics to the songs are quotes: a one paragraph short story, or a listing of statistics comparing the wealth of resources in Chiapas to the poverty of its people, are used to bolster the sentiments of the music. For example, "NAFTA Love Song" is actually not a song, but a skit/commercial pushing the blatant evils of NAFTA ("50 hour work week at $.90 an hour!") as a cheap used-car salesman's dream come true. The kicker is found in the liner notes, where a Canadian bank president hangs himself in saying "We don't have a moral responsibility" to México. Thus the emotion and humor found in their music is politically reinforced by the text provided in the insert.
Drawing from the propaganda and actions of the EZLN, Rhythm Activism attempts to create new folk songs filled with unsung heroes of humanity past and present. Whether it's a little girl on her grandfather's knee, Indigenous peasant, or the famous etchings of Posada, Rhythm Activism brings to life the dreams, visions, and history of the Mexican people. They touch on and support issues of concern championed by the EZLN, such as the poverty of the Indigenous people, NAFTA, and the never-ending call for "tierra y libertad" [land and freedom]. In this way, Blood and Mud is a show of solidarity equal to any demonstration, newspaper article or discussion group that supports the women and men who battle daily for their basic needs.
On the partisan tip, Rhythm Activism revels in the anarchist legacies of the Magón brothers and Margarita Ortega. The Magón brothers were important revolutionary anarchists who were heavily involved in the labor movement. Margarita Ortega was a member of the anarcho-communist Mexican Liberal Party, and certainly not someone to mess with. She gave her husband an ultimatum, fight for the poor or she would not share the same bed with him. She left him, and her daughter came with to join the Mexican Revolution. Margarita Ortega was eventually captured and executed by the Mexican government in 1913. Rhythm Activism effectively combine the old with the new to deliver a straight-up picture (and soundtrack) of revolution then and now.
There have already been dozens of books, articles, and pamphlets devoted to the Zapatistas in the past year. Rhythm Activism adds their voice of admiration, hope, and support in a unique and inspiring manner. They end the recording singing "We are the prologue, we are not the epilogue."
Yes indeed folks, yes indeed!
Contact:
Rhythm Activism