CALLE 13's "Entren Los Que Quieran" Already Earning Glowing Praise And A "First Listen" Preview From NPR
"Calle 13 is much more than a band of musicians: They are poets, comedians, journalists, satirists and political activists...They are fighters, who endure and struggle against the very real horrors of Latin America" - NPR
Puerto Rican group Calle 13 is quick to mention that they dislike the label "reggaeton", because their music is a fusion that goes beyond any genre. I would say Calle 13 itself is much more than a band of musicians: They are poets, comedians, journalists, satirists and political activists.
They often get dismissed for their raunchiness: they've come up with some lines that are nauseating but at the same time so clever, one hovers between fascination and disgust when listening to them.
They also often get brushed off as "the rebellious ones", who indiscriminately poke fun at movie stars and icons of Latin entertainment and Hollywood. They recently revealed that when approached by Coca-Cola to do an advertisement, they demanded to write the script themselves. The script included them gargling and spitting Coca Cola, denouncing US foreign policy, and saying "even though it's terrible for your health, I drink Coca-Cola when I'm thirsty." Obviously, the ad was not approved.
But people who dismiss Calle 13 as crude rebels-without-a-cause ignore the fact that the group applies the same wittiness to sexual innuendos, as they do to their political protest. Their pen is as sharp and clever when they are hitting on a girl as it is when they satirize the corruption that infests Latin American governments. In that sense, they are real. They are like you and me: They think what is happening in the world is pretty awful. They want it to change. They also would like to get a cute girl's phone number tonight.
I think another reason why Latin American fans (myself included) love them so much is that we identify this distinctly Latin quality in them: They are fighters, who endure and struggle against the very real horrors of Latin America. But part of their defiance is the ability to have fun, to be funny, and sexy, despite these horrors.
Calle 13's new album Entren Los Que Quieran (Those Who Want To, Come In) is more politically feisty than any of their previous albums. The album opens with "Calma Pueblo", and by the first breath it's brought down the Governor of Puerto Rico (lead singer Rene Perez claims he left his mom unemployed with the recent mass layoffs), Sony ("my label is not Sony, my label is my listeners") and the media. "La Bala" is an Ennio Morricone flavored song that tells the story of a bullets pathway-and the senselessness of violence. There is at least one dance track. There is a lust song ("Baile De Los Pobres", which channels Billy Joel's working class desires in "Uptown Girl"). But the real love song on this album is "Latinoamerica", a gorgeous ode to Latinos everywhere ("I am the sun that is born and the day that dies...I am America Latina, a land with no legs who still manages to walk").
In a recent interview with NPR's Alt.Latino, Calle 13 revealed that one of their biggest influences is Panamenian singer Ruben Blades. Indeed, they are a new point in a long tradition of Latin troubadours and storytellers. Which is why when I hear the term "rebellious" used to describe Calle 13, I cringe a little. I find that word is often dismissive and relegates people's beliefs to a phase. I don't think Calle 13 is rebellious at all. I think they are just telling it like it is.
And NOW, Take A Listen To Where Calle 13 Is Going, As NPR Presents a "First Listen" of The Entire Album: