Chicas con speakers

The tropical, topical fun of Kumbia Queers

¿QUIERES MUJERES? Kumbia Queers

With members hailing from both Argentina and Mexico (and when circumstances are right, splitting off into cool parallel acts), Kumbia Queers raise a righteous, rhythmic racket that brackets Latin America and bursts with bright, bouncy queer pride. Nothing didactic, mind you. They’d rather fool around with snarky revisions of the Cure or, with their calling card “La Isla Con Chicas,” Madonna. The Mirror reached singer/guiro player Ali Gardoki by e-mail.

Mirror: How would you describe what Kumbia Queers do, musically and culturally?

Ali Gardoki: It’s a weird mix between Argentine cumbia villera, Mexican cumbia sonidera and punk attitude. We think people who listen to us catch a special energy full of humour and lack of prejudices, and it’s a cathartic experience through maniacal dancing.

M: I’m sure you know the Montreal band Lesbians on Ecstasy. I see a similarity with Kumbia Queers—both bands celebrate lesbian pride, but not in a serious or humourless way.

AG: We love Lesbians on Ecstasy, ’cause they’re so open and make you bang your head, although our English sucks so we miss like 60 per cent of the lyrics. We would love to see them live, so please, girls, do a special show with us! I think there aren’t a lot of bands who celebrate girlhood. Both bands kind of do that, more or less at the same time, in totally different cultures, languages and countries.

M: Latin America sometimes seems very resistant to queer culture. I’m thinking of that recent anti-emo riot in Mexico City, for instance, which had a very clear undercurrent of homophobia. Do you think things in this respect are getting better, getting worse, or just staying the same?

AG: Mexico City is the capital of machismo. I experienced that, not only in the groups I play in, but just living my life as a woman. I really feel like a minority, although there a lot more women than men in Mexico. I think diversity, or the idea of tolerance, is finding a way, but it’s still really hard. In Argentina, it’s a little more open. Women are stronger, they read more, they’re open more ’cause society is not that hard.

M: Is there a network of queer-pride music in Latin America, or do you feel Kumbia Queers are alone in the wilderness?

AG: We’re a music band. We feel empathy with bands that rock, we don’t care what background they have, but yeah, we kind of feel special ’cause there isn’t a scene like in other countries. So yeah, we’re trying to build our own scene with different people—we want to meet them!

M: Kumbia Queers is a bit like some crazy Japanese robot that can turn into different, smaller bands and acts, like She Devils or Afrodyke. Tell me a bit about that!

AG: You totally described it perfectly! I’m so proud of hooking up with the girls—She Devils has to be the most amazing band in Argentina. I believe that our history was written in the stars—coming from totally different places and finding the right people to play with. We feel so lucky ’cause we have a lot in common, we like to tour and love each other so much—so you will have the chance, in Canada, to figure it all out.

With She Devils at la Sala Rossa tonight,
Thursday, July 17, 9 p.m., $10