By Jorge J. Muñiz Ortiz |
San Juan (EFE).- The Puerto Rican reggae group Cultura Profética, considered the greatest group in Latin America, has decided to temporarily move away from social songs and move to melancholic ones, such as their most recent single, “Solo Un Eco”, reveals to EFE its singer, Willy Rodríguez.
“All the songs that are coming out are quite melancholic, ‘cut veins’. We came from (the records) ‘La Dulzura’ and ‘Sobrevolando’. And if I had a concept now, it would be the bitter pill, ”explained Rodríguez in the middle of a band rehearsal in his recording studio in the San Juan sector of Santurce.
Known for their first songs of protest and of a social nature such as “Fruit of the Earth”, “Protest” and “Warning”, moving on to romantic and sensual ones such as “Illegal”, “La complicidad” or “Para estar”, Cultura Profética comes with a new song with a more nostalgic touch.
“Solo Un Eco”, which the group hopes to perform this Saturday at the Florece Festival in the Botanical Garden of Caguas, a municipality near San Juan, has, on a musical level, an electroacoustic aesthetic of neo-soul, which manages to express reality. of a relationship that little by little is becoming disillusioned.
Inspiration for social issues does not arrive
On the question of whether Rodríguez will continue composing more songs on social issues, he assured that they will continue to arrive, “but these days they have not turned out like that for me.”
“People are not open to talking about uncomfortable and important topics. And so that they see me as crazy, I prefer to stay with my ideas and flow with music”, reflected the bassist of the group.
For writing songs with “uncomfortable and important” themes, it is that the Cultura Profética career, already 27 years old, “was slow to take off” and “many doors were closed,” Rodríguez recalled.
“But now, these issues are super normal and current, especially the issue of cannabis,” said the also interpreter of hits such as “Lower the tension”, “Despertar”, “Rhymes to seduce”, “From the top to the bottom”.
Cultura Profética was also a messenger to decriminalize marijuana in Puerto Rico and confront the taboos of marijuana use on the island.
The risk of experimenting with Prophetic Culture has worked
For his part, Omar Silva, one of the band’s two guitarists, admitted to EFE that both he and the rest of the band prefer to get away from their comfort zone to compose and produce their songs, as they are committed to “exploring ” and the risk, in addition to doing something they believe in, even if they don’t know where they are going.
In the same way, Silva assured that the next album that the group intends to prepare has to show that it will be better than their previous one, “Sobrevolando”, which earned them their first Latin Grammy in 2020 as best alternative album.
“It is a challenge, and a rod imposed by ourselves. We would not be satisfied with a product inferior to what we have already done”, acknowledged the musician for movie soundtracks and plays.
And so that this next album that Cultura Profética will offer its followers and that it hopes will surpass the success of “Sobrevolando”, Silva indicated that “we will discover that along the way, step by step”.
Thus, Rodríguez, Silva, along with the rest of the band members Eliut González (guitar), Juan Carlos Sulsona (keyboardist) and Bebo Dumont (drums) unite their respective ideas and create unique songs in their first recording and rehearsal studio. after 27 years of career.
They seek to add artists to their record label
The group also has its record label, Sobrevolando Discos, with which they hope to sign other artists and produce their musical works in the future.
The creation of the record label also occurred during the pandemic, a time when the group made the decision “to give more importance to corporate decisions,” Rodríguez highlighted.
“Our issue is more about quality and what should be done and said, which would be the greatest control of a record label. At the moment of taking out strange things and with music that is not on the radio, they will put you in the box (save). In this case, the priority is us, ”he pointed out.