Evangelion, Ranma ½, and Pokémon were some of the anime whose themes and songs were performed by the Mexican J-Rock and J-Pop (Japanese rock and pop) group BAKEMONO on Saturday at the Mexico City Museum.
With a repertoire in Japanese and Spanish, the Mexican band delighted children and adults alike with themes from their favorite anime and a few surprises, such as an adaptation of Belanova’s “Pastel Rose” translated into Japanese.
Organized by the Ministry of Culture, the event was free for all those who wanted to enjoy an exquisite, live rendition of classics like the famous Chala-Head-Chala song, the main theme song for Dragon Ball Z, and raise their hands to perform a Genki-dama.
The band, made up of Victor (drummer), Argenis (bassist), Joel (guitarist), Ludwig (guitarist) and Luisa (vocalist), thanked the Mexico City government and the Mexico City Museum for the space and the opportunity to share their joy and work in an interview with Mexican Press Agency (MxPA).
“We really like these government events… because a different kind of audience comes, open to hearing new ideas and music that might be ‘strange,’ as they would say,” Luisa told the Mexican Press Agency.
The Mexican group’s music also serves as a bridge to Japanese culture in Mexico, which shares a strong bond with the Asian country.
“Anime is one of the mediums through which Japanese culture reached Mexico; it was seen as ‘well, they’re cartoons,’ but by playing this music, we’ve had the opportunity to experience Japanese culture from the inside out,” shared Joel, the band’s guitarist.
For these artists, one of the barriers that needs to be broken down for bands like BAKEMONO is an opening for different music, breaking away from what’s on TV and radio to venture out and discover new horizons.
This Mexican group will celebrate three years on stage and has invited all readers to a special anniversary concert with Shinigamis del Norte on September 13 at Foro Veintiocho in Mexico City.
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Mexican Press Agency is part of ALMA, which is dedicated to news and information about Mexico and Mexicans in the United States and is a fiscally sponsored project of Social Focus, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Redwood City, California.
