Syracuse Ska Forum

Inspector from Monterrey, Mexico

[From an article in last month's Santa Cruz CA newspaper]

Get the party started with Inspector Ska

"Unidad, Cerveza y Ska."

No matter where they go — be it Madrid, Puerto Rico, Mexico City or Santa Cruz — that’s the motto of the Mexican ska band Inspector.

"There are small differences between how audiences in the United States and Mexico behave," said Jesus Arriego, Inspector founder and alto sax player in an e-mail interview from Monterrey, Nuevo Leon in Mexico.

"But everyone is clear that a concert with Inspector is a party."

It’s been the tradition of ska to carry the message of anti-racism, liberty, equality along with love, heartbreak, beer and partying.

Inspector leaves nothing out.

"The themes of our songs are varied," Arriaga said. "They’re about the things we love, and the things that we don’t love. Most of them come from personal experience. The things that happen to us are what people identify with.

The band of eight came together in 1995, catching the wave of ska that was sweeping Mexico and the United States. At first the band tended towards the British "two-tone" style, but like their compatriots, La Maldita Vecindad, they soon put a distinctly Mexican accent on the music.

"The band has followed the history of ska and its distinct waves, so we’ve been influenced from everything everywhere," said Arriago, who has written a history of ska on the band’s Web site, http://www.inspector.com.mx. "What we’re trying to do is put our own mark on the music."

That mark is clear on Inspector’s newest CD, "Unidad, Cerveza y Ska" ("Unity, Beer and Ska"), which rocks with influences ranging from ’60s and ’70s rock to hip-hop to ranchera to son jarocho (traditional music from Veracruz).

"I think it’s a tendency in ska — and other musical rhythms — to mix the feel and flavor of the music of your country with that of other countries to create something your very own," said Arriego, also known as "El Padrino."

"In our case, we have brought together the rhythm of ska with the feel of Mexico."

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As my personal aside, this is just one of a LOT of very popular ska bands in Mexico right now. Would anyone in Syracuse ever be open to seeing such a band here???

what about SKA-P? those guys are pretty sick. Hate the vocals, but the instrumentals are reaalllyy good. Very talented group.

Logan*

Yeah, Ska-P are definitely quite talented. They hail from Spain. While mentioning bands from Spain, I also have to mention The Malarians. Just an amazing, amazing trad band.

From Mexico, I really like Cabrito Vudu, Los Kung-Fu Monkeys, Salon Victoria, Sekta Core, Panteon Rococo. There seem to constantly be new bands down there, so its probably about time I checked some more out ...