Both flamenco and Hip Hop talk about the social issues of the barrio (the ghetto), that is the most basic common link there is between the two, they both have an essence of speaking about problems and the pains of life.
Politics is something that we live everyday. We believe that politics starts when you wake up in the morning and continues in the day to day things you do, everything is a political move. For us, socially and politically concerned music has to do with everyday life.
Busking was how we started, playing jams in Las Rambas and calle Ferrain, it is a good way to play directly to the people with little equipment.
Barcelona used to be a great place for street musicians but now they have introduced a law called the “Uncivic law” which has made it illegal to play music on the street for money. They are attempting to make Barcelona attract a more “high-class” type of tourist.
Illegal downloads are not a bad thing, it is the moment we are at right now, it is something we have to deal with and accept. Ojos grew up a lot thanks to this. It is a major way to promote your music which record labels are afraid, or perhaps, unconscious of.
We have our own independent record label. We decided that we wanted to release our album in a free and independent way, so we started this collective not only artistically but also structurally. We also do our own booking and our own promotion. We try not to get involved with big multinational companies. We have to use them sometimes, because we use mobile phones, cars and planes, but we try not to let them use us.
When you are working for a record company you are being used for all sorts of things. Once we saw a TV advert for a bullfighting contest that featured one of our songs; because we are independent we had the power to get the song taken off the advert. Other artists don't have this power, the record companies own their rights and they have to shut up.
Coca Cola asked to use our music; this is one of the best marketing methods they have up their sleeves, they use music by new radical bands like us to make themselves appear alternative and cool, and earn millions from these bands to promote themselves – why the hell would we help them do that?!
It is possible to be successful and be independent. We have become the only band in Spain, on an independent label, who have sold more than 100,000 of their album. Hopefully this will encourage others.
