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Jaguares' Latin rock uprisingMexican rock band gains a foothold in U.S.By Kevin Drew
Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- Call their livelihoods a sort of guerrilla campaign set to a rock and mariachi beat. For members of the veteran Mexican rock group Jaguares (pronounced Huh-WAR-es), the road to commercial success in the United States has been a long and sometimes rocky one that has required determination and faith. Despite receiving little support from U.S. radio stations, the band is building a growing fan base north of the Mexican border, primarily on the strength of their impassioned live performances. "It's been a slow and painful battle," concedes drummer Alfonso Andre during a recent telephone interview. But despite reaching the end of its most ambitious U.S. tour to date, the group's career path asks a fundamental question: What price celebrity? After all, the band could make things easier on itself. But the group shuns large-scale commercial tour sponsors and continues to perform their songs in Spanish. And the Latin rock genre doesn't easily fit into U.S. radio station format, says Leila Cobo, the Latin music editor at Billboard magazine. Most stations' idea of Latin music covers relatively mainstream artists such as Ricky Martin, Christina Aguilera and Shakira, Cobo says. The relatively few number of Latin music stations concentrate on pop acts, she says. "In general, there is a ceiling for most [Latin rock] bands," she says. "Basically, without radio support, you are limited as an artist." Andre is more blunt. "Radio stations really don't believe in rock, I think." Following a dream
The roots of Jaguares reach to the early 1980s, when band members Andre and singer Saul Hernandez began working together in various Mexico bands. In 1984 they formed Caifanes, a rock band that incorporated elements of British New Wave and Goth into the musicians' own musical tastes. Caifanes disbanded in the early 1990s, but Andre and Hernandez remained working together, and in 1994, reformed as Jaguares. The name came to singer Hernandez, Andre said, through a dream. Hernandez told band members that he had a vision of singing in the mouth of a Jaguar. He (Hernandez) told us 'the name has chosen us,' " Andre recalls. "We like it because the jaguar is a really powerful image in Mexican culture." Although musicians have come and gone from the band, the core lineup of Andre, Hernandez and guitarist Cesar "Vampiro" Lopez forms the basic sound. Jaguares' musical style looks across the Atlantic for much of its inspiration. It incorporates elements of British bands from Pink Floyd to U2, mixed in with mariachi rhythms and Mexican boleros. The comparison to U2 is especially apt. Singer Hernandez is a charismatic stage figure, much like U2's Bono. His raspy tenor – the result of multiple throat operations he had after nearly losing his voice – occasionally hits an off note, but gives the band a raw edge. "They may be one of the most cerebral rock bands in Mexico," says Ramiro Burr, a music journalist for the San Antonio Express-News. "They question the things we do and why we do them." "El Primer Instinto," the band's fourth album -- released this past fall -- is a primarily acoustic collection. Guest musicians include former Eurythmics harmonica player Jimmy Z and Los Lobos' David Hidalgo, who plays squeezebox on "La Llorona." The band put the album together quickly, in just 15 days, Andre says. "We did it pretty fast," Andre says. "That's why it's called 'El Primer Instinto' (the first instinct)." 'They want to perform on their own terms'
The new album follows a busy year of performing for Jaguares. On its 2002 tour, the group performed in 40 cities in venues that ranged in capacity from a few hundred people to 30,000. Such a busy schedule for Jaguares is a sharp counterpoint to many Latin rock acts. The most popular Latin rock bands are still limited to relatively small tour schedules, Burr says, that only reach cities with large Latino populations. Still, the power of the Jaguares' live performances has pushed the group's popularity upward over the years. "El Primer" debuted earlier this fall at No. 2 on Billboard's Latin music charts, highly unusual for a non-pop act, Cobo says. "These guys (Jaguares) do it because they have a strong fan base," Cobo says. "What's interesting about Jaguares is that they don't like corporate sponsorship. They could make much more money if they wanted to, but they want to perform on their own terms." The band's ideals extend beyond corporate sponsorship. While other Latin artists try to achieve mainstream success by singing in English, Jaguares would rather win over U.S. audiences with their songs remaining in Spanish. "We don't want to change anything, because we'd like them (audiences) to experience the band as it is, and hopefully they will like it," Andre says. Singing in Spanish is part of the band's credibility, Burr says. "For these guys it's this kind of battle: 'Yes, we want to cross over, but no, we don't want to have the kiss of death, because once we become part of the teeny-bop scene like Hanson, it's over.' " As for the future, Andre says the band wants to continue producing albums and climbing the uphill road to greater popularity. "We want to keep on going as a band and as musicians, finding our own voice."
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