“There is a particular relevance of the cries, wails, screams, and statements of the colonized body,” wrote Malportado Kids frontwoman Victoria Ruiz in an op-ed about the continued political and cultural relevance of Selena. Those cries, wails, and screams are at the forefront of “Basta Huedo”, with Ruiz demanding, “Give me back / my fucking land!” over triumphant cumbia dance-punk. Cumbia is a musical cornerstone of Latin America, and Malportado Kids wield it proudly, combining it with a punk urgency, resulting in music that’s vibrant, unapologetic, and unignorable. “Basta Huedo” also marks drummer Norlan Olivo’s rap debut, announcing that, “My people are all babes” and the always-relevant reminder, “Fuck wealth / I don’t need money to love myself.”
“Basta Huedo” is off the album Total Cultura, a declaration of the Malportado Kids’ bid for total culture, an idea which guitarist/vocalist Joey DeFrancesco explained in an interview with Shotgun Seamstress as such: “We often fall into this trap of dividing culture from everyday life, as if culture is something that stops at the gallery door or the stage. This is what capitalism wants culture to be—a neatly separated experience that you consume and then move on. Truly revolutionary art or music reaches beyond where it’s supposed to be confined and inspires you to take action at work, against the people you who are putting you down, and so on.”
Total Cultura is out June 2 on Dead Labour. You can stream “Basta Huedo” below.
