ChocQuibTown by Jeff Guerra.  (Nov/Dec issue of The Arepa!)

These days it is far too easy for a band to earn the distinction of being socially conscious; anyone who blabs “Stop the violence” into a microphone is seemingly anointed the next U2 or Bob Marley. Writing meaningful lyrics is one thing, but the ability to connect and relate to fans is what elevates an artist to the rare heights of stardom.

Showing the ability to both move culture and raise social awareness, Colombia’s ChocQuibTown appear bound for such heights. Brought up in the Pacific state of Choco, their music fuses funk, hip-hop, dancehall and electronic beats with salsa and traditional Pacific rhythms such as bunde and currulao.

Following the success of their first two albums, Somos Pacifico and Oro, ChocQuibTown are set to embark on a multi-city European tour. As of this writing, they have just been nominated for a 2009 Latin Grammy award as Best New Artist. We sat down with flow man MC Tostao at the band’s studio to find out more.

Photos by Diana Gamba from www.dianagamba.blogspot.com

Arepa: First, congratulations on the Grammy nomination!

CQT: Thank you.

Arepa: And congratulations to the Grammy Awards for having the good taste to nominate ChocQuibTown!

CQT: (Laughs)

Arepa: For those who don’t already know, explain the meaning of the band’s name.

CQT: “Choc” is for Choco, our home state; “Quib” is for Quibdo, our home city and the capital of Choco. “Town” is like pueblo; the neighborhood, the barrio.

Arepa: Talk about this tour you have coming up.

CQT: We start with two shows in India, then Paris, Berlin, London, and the WOMEX Music Conference in Copenhagen.

Photos by Diana Gamba from www.dianagamba.blogspot.com

Arepa: Let’s talk about the music. Anyone who listens to CQT can hear the influence of indigenous rhythms such as currulao. Can you talk a bit about traditional Pacific music?

CQT: Music from the Pacific is sort of lost among the things people generally know about Colombia – cocaine, coffee, salsa, cumbia – they don’t know much about what we call “The Africa inside Colombia”. There are so many rhythms in the Pacific, and one in particular that I really like is called Levanta Polvo (literally “Raise the Dust”).

Arepa: This is more of a northern Pacific style, right?

CQT: Exactly – the northern Pacific sound is more Western, which makes it more applicable to electronic dance beats, while the South has a more mystical, spiritual vibe. We fuse these traditional elements with modern, urban sounds, and it ends up something like “funky Chocoano”.

Arepa: With such great flow, it’s obvious you’ve been influenced by hip-hop as well.

CQT: Yes, definitely, but not so much North American hip-hop. It’s more Pacific, closer to the style you would hear in the streets where we come from.

Arepa: Flow is flow, I guess. If you have it, you have it, no matter where you come from!

CQT: Exactly – flow is flow. Eso es lo que hay – “That’s what’s up!”

Arepa: Listening to your lyrics, it’s obvious CQT are very serious about social responsibility.

CQT: Yes, we think about this all the time, looking for new ways to contribute. We’re focusing a lot on health issues – for example we worked on a campaign encouraging both children and parents to wash their hands as a matter of disease prevention. We’ve also worked with UNICEF on an anti-landmine campaign, and played free concerts for organizations like Fundamor, which benefits children with AIDS.

Photos by Diana Gamba from www.dianagamba.blogspot.com

Arepa: So what do you see going on in Colombia at the moment, as far as moving the musical scene?

CQT: A lot! For example, in Medellín there is a reggae band called Coffee Makers; also Kilombo and Profetas… we’re really part of a new Colombian music movement that is united by a sense of independence. We all have our own unique styles, but we have this independence in common, which separates us from so many typical “record label” bands that all sound the same.

Arepa: Another common theme in this new Colombian music is a strong Afro influence…

CQT: Yes, that’s the biggest thing right now in the country. We’ve always had salsa, cumbia, vallenato… African music used to be more of a niche, but now it’s like Colombia is re-discovering its multi-cultural identity. You can hear the Afro influence everywhere.

Arepa: What do you think is driving this?

CQT: Who knows? I think it’s like when you eat the same thing Monday through Friday, you want something different on the weekend. Right now Afro rhythms are the new thing, and it’s spreading fast.

Arepa: This is what makes the scene so exciting, this breaking of barriers through music.

CQT: And I would say the barriers are more socio-economic than racial. Take Medellín for example – you don’t see very many Chocoanos in Poblado as they’re mostly in Moravia, which is a much poorer area. But everything is possible in Colombia; just look at the people coming to our shows. It is a mix of high and low economic classes, young, old, black, white, indigenous…

Arepa: So after this tour, will you guys be working on a new album?

CQT: Yes, we’ve already started. After the Grammy Awards we’ll be releasing a few singles through the internet.

Arepa: Thank you so much for your time, and best of luck with the tour and the Grammys. We’ll be watching!

CQT: It was a pleasure, thank you.