Music is the universal language. Sure it’s a cliche, but there’s a damn good reason for it…it’s because it’s true.
Locos Por Juana, who perform at Jams on the Sand in Asbury Park on August 2, embody this cliche…in the best possible way. The band blends their linguistic dexterity with a diverse musical palette to create a wonderfully boisterous, danceable, and undeniable sound that any one can understand and enjoy.
We spoke with guitarist Mark Kondrat about the band’s new album which dropped in June as they get ready to jam on the sand in Asbury Park.
You just dropped your new record Te Quiero Ver in June — what’s the central theme(s) of this record?
This song is an energetic, feel-good summer anthem about dancing and sweating and joining the party. The song has been featured on Zumba Fitness and went viral when the songs choreographed dance was uploaded over 15,000 times on Instagram and social media.
How do you feel it stands out from the rest of your albums from a lyrical, and sonic standpoint?
Sonically it is a natural evolution of the Locos por Juana sound. The song includes the bands beloved Cumbia and Champeta rhythms mixed with electronic textures and sounds. Lyrically the song is inspired by the Zumba community and Zumba’s founder Beto who is also featured on the track. The lyrics are a positive, motivational tribute to movement and dance.
This might be an odd question, but you’re a bilingual band. Do you feel this allows you more creative freedom in regards to your lyrics because you can fluently express your thoughts in multiple languages?
Music is a universal language and lyrically the more languages you can include, the better. We have always loved artist who sing in multipole languages such as Manu Chao who sings in English, Spanish, French, etc.
Your sound is one of the most wild and diverse sounds I’ve ever heard. It draws from so many different genres at once — can you talk about how this eclectic sound came together, and who are the band’s biggest musical inspirations?
The diverse sounds comes from the diverse members of the band, as well as the beautiful city of Miami which formed us as musicians and artist. Each member of the band adds there own distinct sound and style and Miami, being such a diverse melting pot, also adds to this sound.
For someone interesting in checking you out, what song would you recommend they check out in order to fully understand what Locos por Juana is all about?
Please check out our latest single, ‘Te Quiero Ver’ feat Beto. Its a great sample of how the band flows from one style of music to the next. Another great listen for the Locos por Juana experience is ‘Afro Sound’ from our 2012 Album, Evolucion.
In the same vein, what can people expect from a Locos por Juana live show?
You can definitely expect to dance and feel happy. We are a band that will take you on a sonic tour through Miami and the Caribbean to Colombia and South America.
On Thursday you’ll be performing right on the beach with the Atlantic Ocean behind you for Jams on the Sand. To me, that’s a pretty unique venue. What’s one of the most unique/odd places Locos por Juana has ever performed?
It’s always a blessing to be performing on the the beach with our backs to the ocean and its a great compliment to the sound we share and create. One of the most unique venues we have performed on would have to be the Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks in Pennsylvania. The stage is at the base of the iconic Bethlehem blast furnaces on the SteelStacks arts and culture campus. You have to google it to see what I mean.
On a personal note — what do you love about being in Locos Por Juana?
I love being able to create a unique style of Music and to share it with so many great and beautiful people.
