Politics and rock en Español go hand in hand, and Mexico City's Molotov is a flag-waver for that combination. The band formed in 1995 during an era in which seismic political changes transformed Mexican society; from the start, Molotov's music pointed fingers at economic and political institutions — and even aging rock stars.
Molotov's performance in front of about 10,000 fans at Auditorium Shores in Austin, Texas, during the 2013 South by Southwest music festival featured a potent mix of high-energy rock, rap and ska. It's always a thrill to get lost in the band's churning mix of powerful messages and killer grooves — and, of course, there's nothing like being in a huge crowd and chanting along with the band as it shouts "Viva Mexico!" followed by a word I'd never say in front of my mother.
Here, you can watch Molotov perform "Voto Latino," then listen to the band's complete set from SXSW.
Set List
Credits
Producer: Saidah Blount, Felix Contreras, Jasmine Garsd; Editor: Gabriella Garcia-Pardo; Audio Engineer: Metro Mobile, Suraya Mohamed; Videographers: Christopher Farber, A.J. Wilhelm; Special Thanks to: Auditorium Shores, South By Southwest; Executive Producers: Anya Grundmann, Keith Jenkins
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.