At Versaris Interview: SXSW 2010

Posted on Mar 8th 2010 2:30PM by Andrea Grimes
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Even Kanye can't get seem to get away from rapping about money, ho's and rims, but maybe that's because he's speaking the wrong language -- specifically, English. Because Barcelona's At Versaris have taken conscious hip-hop to a whole new level, rapping in their native Catalan against capitalism and cultural hegemony. Emcees Ro and Pau join DJ Singu, who rules the "riddims and scratches," and the group will make their second trip to the States for SXSW this spring. Did you catch them at CMJ a couple years ago? No? Well, if they hit Austin the way they've hit Barcelona, as one of the city's most audience-drawing acts, they might just revive the rage against the machine. Here's what MC Ro had to say to Spinner about their upcoming appearance in Austin.

Describe your sound in your own words.

Musica, paraules, ritme, passi i esfor! (Music, words, rhythm, passion and effort!)

How did your band form?

Pau and me (both MCs) met seven years ago, more or less, at the university bars. We were together in a student trade union. Those years Pau was singing with a hardcore band, and I was singing with a reggae sound system. But we both were writing some rap lyrics and that's how we started thinking about putting out a rap project together.

What are your musical influences?

We like a lot of different music. Our music is rap, but we are from Barcelona, so if you want, we can say that our music is "sunnies" by the Mediterranean sea. We listen to a lot of different music styles. Every style has its own moment in our lives. Rap classics like EPMD, Eric B & Rakim or others like Slum Village or MF Doom, but we also listen to reggae, classics or nu roots, to rock or whatever.

How did you come up with your band name?

The name is just a pun in Catalan (our language). It has something to do with "verse" and all this stuff, but it also means "opponent."

How did you become involved in the social causes you care and rap about? Why are those issues important to you?

Since we were teenagers, we've participated in many political and social organizations. In our country there is a long tradition of struggle that unites the cause of national independence and the recognition of our people with a critical anti-capitalist radicalism, with all that that implies--environmental protection, public services, defense of labor rights. In many ways this is reflected in our literature because we are trying to build heartfelt speech and lyrics and that is what worries us.

Why did you decide to rap in Catalan? What are your thoughts on how it might help or hinder your success?

For us it was a natural decision. It is our mother language and, moreover, has historically been obscured and even banned by the Spanish and French authorities. Obviously, in terms of diffusion of our project to the vast territory where people speak Spanish, we think that we could have closed doors. But music is a universal language and has united us with people like us who defend the use of standard Catalan and other stateless and minority languages in the world.

How do American audiences differ from those in Spain and Europe?

In fact we have only played once in the U.S., so I do not think that we know.

If you weren't musicians, what profession do you think you'd end up going into?

I would have liked to be a teacher of secondary school, but in reality I am still there on time. Education must become a fundamental part of the transformation of the social order to combat consumerism, individualism and all attitudes linked to the development of capitalism and its hegemony.

Andrea Grimes is a contributor from Seed.com. Learn how you can contribute here.