Guadalupe Plata Interview: SXSW 2010

Posted on Mar 11th 2010 2:23AM by María Lopez
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Two young swamp blues worshippers -- Pedro de Dios Barcelo and Carlos Jimena -- perform a chemical experiment by mixing the rusty-water-wheel chant of Hound Dog Taylor, the darkness of Skip James, the hypnotic rhythms of John Lee Hooker and R.L.Burnside, the madness of Screamin' Jay Hawkins, the sweet sound of Tampa Red, the killer slide of Elmore James and the essence of Son House. Phew. This, apparently, is Guadalupe Plata, who are playing SXSW 2010. They took some time out beforehand to talk to Spinner.

Describe your sound in your own words.

Possessed cante jondo [Spanish flamenco singing] lying on a base of hypnotic drum kit, post-war bass and a killer slide. Swampy blues to sum up.

How did your band form?

I think the previous answer applies to this one.

What are your musical influences?

Most of our influences are dead... Mississippi basses Fred MacDowell style, Hound Dog Taylor's rotten slide, Skip James' obscure atmospheres, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Elmore James...

How did you come up with your band name?

It is our patron saint and protector, covered by a silver ray aureole.

What's your biggest vice?

We have a very particular vice that consists in punching each other as if we were possessed, sticking our tongues out and biting the knife before using it. It is a very ancient tradition performed in Jaen's villages.

What's in your festival survival kit?

Gherkins, chewing gums and cigarettes.

What's your musical guilty pleasure?

The Holy rosary live on Radio Maria.

Beatles or Stones?

Both, but there are moments where we would like to impale them, on the same stick of course.

What's the craziest thing you've seen or experienced while on tour?

This summer we played on a field in a festival known as Parrilla rock [barbecue rock], an unfriendly looking man came out of nowhere with an axe. He didn't like the music and wanted to destroy everything; we all had to run away like sinners.