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Panteón Rococó are a band who formed during the aftermath of one of the most volatile periods of recent Mexican history, the Zapatista uprising of 1994. Fuelled by the bands shared outrage at the government’s treatment of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (an organisation the band supports to this day), the band debuted in 1995, playing live around the bars and rock clubs of Mexico City. By 1997, the band had generated some serious hype for themselves, and on the strength of their live performances they signed to Pepe Lobo Records. Soon afterwards, the band released their first E.P “Toloache pa' mi Negra” and on the strength of that record, signed to BMG Mexico in 1998.
Ever since then, the ten piece band have have remained one of the must see live-acts of the Latin American rock scene, and have built up a following all over Europe as well as in South America. They’ve toured with the likes of Manu Chao and have performed at festivals from their home town of Mexico City’s Vive Latino to Germany’s heavy metal spectacular Wacken Open Air. We need more bands this politically active, this esoteric, this all around unique more than ever, and the fortunate thing is that Pantéon Rococó look set to become a deeply influential band all over the world. Highly recommended.
Usually, I find that large bands with multiple members don’t work in the same way as smaller tight knit bands, but Panteon Rococo with their vast eclectic mix of instruments get it spot on every time. The Mexican ska band are incredibly popular across Mexico and also Germany (the home of their record label), but are beginning to tour more extensively. I love the way that they blend the genres of salsa, rock, and punk with ska to create a funky and energised sound that keeps the audience engaged and dancing.
They opened the show with the title track from their newest album Ni Carne Ni Pescado, and they had everyone dancing along right away. I was a little worried that the language barrier might be a problem, but the way that the band members are so skilled at telling a narrative through their body language and vocal and instrumental tone made it very relatable to the audience, making the issue of the language barrier disappear. The show was almost 2 hours long, and they maintained their energy from start to finish without wavering at all. The interaction with the audience was great, and when they performed their instrumental solos, it was an incredible example of their talents.