Hear Me Now: Cuban Dissident Punk Rockers 'Porno Para Ricardo'
July 2, 2013— -- "The Most Famous Band in the World for Not Playing" – that's Porno Para Ricardo, the dissident punk rockers from Cuba. Led by the eccentric Gorki Aguila, the band has essentially made a career out of creating music to irritate the Castro regime and because of their efforts, it's become harder and harder to actually hear them play anything, anywhere.
But luckily, Gorki and the band's guitarist, Ciro Diaz, have been hanging out in Mexico City lately. And we were lucky enough to coax them into performing a song for Fusion's Hear Me Now series. Click on the video above to check out Gorki and Ciro playing one of their more recent critiques of the Castros, "Los Dinosaurios," featuring the bands mix of humor and caustic complaint.
In case your punk rock Spanish is not up to snuff, here's an idea of they're saying:
Todos creemos que no existen los dinosaurios
We all think that dinosaurs don't exist.
Que se extinguieron hace millones de años
That they became extinct millions of years ago.
Pero en esta Isla están acabando
But on this island they are still running
Echan raíces y están reventando
Taking root and bursting open
Comen mucha carne y están reflexionando
They eat a lot of meat and are pondering.
Darwin lo dijo que de los monos somos hijos
Darwin told us that monkeys are our children
Pero a los dinosaurios no les gusta ese estrbillo
But to the dinosaurs don't like the chorus
La ciencia la inventaron en reuniones del partido
The science invented in party meetings
Son nuestros padres y están gobernando
They are our parents and they are ruling
Es una teoría que todavía están probando
It's a theory they are still testing.
La evolución que está involucionando
The evolution that is devolving.
Tirano tirano tiranosaurio
Tyrant tyrant tyranosaurus
No hay mal que dure cien años
There is no evil that last 100 years
Ni cuerpo que resista el engaño
Nor is there a body that can resist cheating
Gorki and Ciro are in town rehearsing and gearing up for a sort of European tour. In July, the band is expecting to reunite all of their members for shows in Warsaw and then continuing on to Prague, Barcelona and Madrid. That is if the Castros give travel permission to the two remaining members and if they can raise enough money for the plane tickets, neither of which is a given.
If your interested in hearing more or helping them out with a few dollars, check out their crowdfunding site and very entertaining explainer video at Pornopararicardo.info
