Molotov is a two-time Latin Grammy Award-winning Mexican rock and hip hop band formed in Mexico City on September 23, 1995. Their lyrics feature a mixture of Spanish and English, rapped and sung by all members of the group. Musically, Molotov blends heavy basslines with heavy guitar riffs. Many songs, such as "Gimme Tha Power" and "Frijolero", are politically inspired, addressing issues such as disenfranchisement within Mexico and immigration in the United States. The band's lyrics are risqué, playful, and frequently aggressive.

Biography

Everything began in the middle of 1995 when two friends, Tito Fuentes (guitar) and Micky "Fled" Huidobro (bass), got together and started playing. On the 21st of September of the same year, Javier de la Cueva "J" and "La Quesadillera" joined them becoming the first line up for the band (although La Quesadillera later left and was replaced by Randy Ebright, the only American-born member of the band). Around February of 1996 Javier left the group and Paco Ayala took his place. Throughout 1996, the band played in many underground locations in Mexico City and began to have a small group of fans. Their success finally came when they opened for Héroes del Silencio in Monterrey and later for La Lupita in Puebla. During a concert in which they opened for Illya Kuryaki and The Valderramas, talent hunters from Universal offered them to record an album. It was a difficult period, and the band had to sell cassettes during the concerts while they prepared their album.

In July of 1997 they released their debut album "¿Dónde Jugarán las niñas?", which took it's name partly from Maná's album "¿Dónde Jugarán los niños?" generating a great amount of controversy with stores refusing to sell it because of its lyrics and cover. Molotov went out to the street to sell their discs, as a form of protest over the censorship. The lyrics include a mixture of politics, sex and curse words, a fact that almost literally got them banned from Mexico, and caused them to move to Spain for some time.

Molotov received a recognition without precedent for a hip-hop group in Spanish. Urban publications such as Vibe, said about them: "Molotov's music) is incendiary by nature… with darts poisoned aimed directly to the heart of the oppressive paternalism of the government. They've become the Latin response to our Rage Against the Machine".

Molotov released "Molomix", an album with remixes of "Donde Jugarán...?" including a version of the classic Queen song Bohemian Rhapsody titled: “Rap, Soda and Bohemias”, and a new song : “El Carnal de las estrellas”, this last song as a response to Televisa's refusal to air the band's videos.

In September, 1999 Apocalypshit was released to the market and the band toured Europe, including Russia. In 2001, after a couple of years of touring, they took a rest from it by contributing to the soundtrack of the films Y tu mamá también and Atlético San Pancho as well as by participating in tribute albums for José José and Los Tigres del Norte.

They were part of the Watcha Tour 2000, which included 17 shows with Los Enanitos Verdes, Aterciopelados, Café Tacuba, and A.N.I.M.A.L.

In 2003 the bands new album ``Dance and Dense Denso was released with the Grammy-winning single, Frijolero'', which became the band's biggest hit to date.

In 2004 the band released Con Todo Respeto , which consisted of covers of groups such as The Misfits, The Beastie Boys, ZZ Top, and Los Toreros Muertos.

On January 18 2007 Molotov's official website addressed a separation rumor saying that it could neither be confirmed or denied, but that more information would be coming soon.[1] A few weeks later, the band confirmed on their website they would indeed be touring and posted dates starting April 3 in Ventura, California and ending April 15 in Dallas, Texas. Although they have yet to update on the word of a breakup, many radio stations are announcing the tour as Molotov's last.

Controversy

The band also faced a further hurdle when one of their songs was interpreted as a slur against homosexuals. The song Puto (literally man-whore; feminine "puta" meaning bitch; "puto" in Spanish means gay male, similar to the American slang word "faggot") was actually supposed to be about those who will not stand up for themselves, since in Mexico, like in other parts of the world, homophobic slurs are also used to refer to "unmanly" behavior, such as cowardice or cheating. As a result of this, Molotov's first tour in Germany was met by crowds of angry gays and lesbians with their arms folded. However, this information was not widely circulated until much later.

In defense of the band and their use of the word "puto", producer Gustavo Santaolalla told an interviewer from the Spanish language rock and roll magazine Retila:

"Lo de 'homofóbico' te lo aclaro ya: en la canción 'Puto', la palabra, de ninguna manera está utilizada como un ataque a la comunidad homosexual, para nada. Se usa como se utilizaría en Argentina al decir 'turro', por ejemplo, un tipo que es un ...qué sé yo... un miserable, un 'loser', un tipo mala onda. No es un insulto a un homosexual. La letra dice, 'Puto el que nos quita la papa/el que creyó lo del informe...' Está dirigido específicamente a ese tipo de persona. Y por el lado de lo de sexista, las canciones están hechas con humor y dirigidas, precisamente, a toda esa mentalidad machista y latina."

"About the homophobic thing, I'll clear that up now: in the song 'Puto', the word is in no way used as an attack on the homosexual community, at all. Its used like the word "turro" would be in Argentina, for example, a guy who is ...hmmm... a wretch, a loser, a bad-vibe guy. Its not an insult to a homosexual. The lyrics say, 'Puto, who takes away our grub/Puto who believes what's on the news...' Its directed specifically to that type of person. And as for the sexism, the songs are all made with humor and aimed precisedly at all that Latino-Macho mentality."

Santaolalla further compares the use of "puto" to Mark Knopfler's use of the word "faggot" in the Dire Straits song "Money for Nothing", which he (mistakenly) states was not criticized.

Despite these initial problems, the band pulled itself together leaving its more major controversies behind. Since then it has produced popular albums with their most recent release Con Todo Respeto ("With all due respect") in late 2004. Molotov's music has a large following in Mexico (where it is played frequently on some Mexican radio stations as well as prominent films such as Y tu mamá también along with the United States and to a lesser degree, Europe.)

Members

Current members

• Tito Fuentes - Singer/Guitar (1995-)
• Mickey "Huidos" Huidobro - Singer/ Bass Guitar (1995-)
• Paco Ayala - Singer/Bass Guitar (1996-)
• Randy "El Gringo Loco" Ebright - Singer/Drums (1996-)

Former members

• Javier de la Cueva - Bass Guitar (1995-96)
• La Quesadillera - Drums ( 1995-96)

Discography

• ¿Dónde Jugarán Las Niñas? August 26, 1997
• Molomix November 24, 1998
• Apocalypshit September 14, 1999
• Dance and Dense Denso February 5, 2003
• Con Todo Respeto October 26, 2004
• Con Todo Respeto (Limited Edition) September 2005
• Eternamiente (2007)

Awards

¿Dónde jugarán las niñas?:

• Double Platinum Record in Spain
• Quadruple Gold Record in Mexico
• Golden Record in Argentina and Colombia.
• Platinum Record in Chile and United States.

Dance and Dense Denso:

• Latin Grammy for Best Music Video (Frijolero).

External links

• Molotov Official Web Site