How many people do a punk scene make? 50 or 60 like in Cuba, Hundreds like in Medellin? thousands like in NYC? how about 1? Well in San Pedro Sula I made contact with at least one punk rocker, Richie Ramone. He’s actually originally from Costa Rica but if things go well, I’ll get to meet and interview Richie when I roll back through SPS after my brief stopover in Roatan over the weekend.
Below is a sneak preview of what you can expect us to cover, taken from the email Richie sent me and posted with his permission.
Richie, thanks man.. I was starting to wonder if I’d find any punks on this trip. Haven’t struck out yet, so thanks for keeping the streak alive for me. You are correct, Punk is most certainly not dead.. not even in San Pedro Sula, Honduras.
See you soon.
Robert
Rob, whats up.
My name is Richie. Everyone knows me as Richie Ramone(you can find me on facebook under that name).
I saw the ad on FB, and wanted to send you an email about this. PUNK IN HONDURAS.
Punk in Honduras, is not something you will see in the streets. Unfortunately, this whole country is very traditional, and punk, is not understood AT ALL. You may find a few reaaaaally young kids in the street dressed in black with a green day tee shirt here and there, but they are far from the true concept of punk, in my opinion. Im 30. I lived in Costa Rica since i was 15 until i was 25, and discovered punk there. I’d hit the bars, and places where my favorite local bands played, and felt part of this whole group of people who were in it for this feeling.
In Costa Rica, its alot more understood, this punk deal.
As I moved threw life, i kept my punk roots in my soul. I’ve met soooo many people threw this ” attitude ” and some of my best friends ive met thanks to punk.
Honduras, however, is a very tricky place. Its very misunderstood, as there is very little education about punk. I met some young kids at a soccer game once, who all had ramones, and my chemical romance tees. I was pretty stoked to see other people who may like punk. After a brief conversation, they said they have never really heard ramones. They just asociated it with the bands they liked, like My Chemical Romance, and Linkin Park, and even mentioned Alkaline Trio, sum 41..etc.
I asked if they have ever heard of The Germs, or Youth BRigade…maybe some misfits or even Social D. No, they said. Oh well.
My point is, i moved back here in 05. I learned something very important about being a punk in a country filled with preppy LAdy Gaga fans and regeton fans. I keep my music to myself. Ive NEVER seen a good band in San Pedro Sula. NEVER. There is no place to go see a show. There is no true punk as a comunity. Just a bunch of posers playing Bon Jovi covers at places like TGIF’s. I am who i am though. I keep my head low, and fill my music collection with as much new music(punk please) as I can. My attitude in this place is one of I just dont care to try to educate people of what a music scene is. Its just LAME, and i am disapointed as hell. As a fellow punk rocker, you know how easy it is to start a band. I havent been on stage in Honduras since i moved here.
No one plays punk. Metal rules the underground, and emos sport the gear. Every once in a while, i gotta take a road trip to COsta Rica to catch Strung Out, or a Misfits show. Propagandi, and even Guttermouth have been down there. In a world like the one I live in, ive settled down, and just keep my passion and luv for punk all to myself. I still come home, plug into my amp, and play for hours. You know what though? I like it this way better. I love knowing something no one else around me knows, and I love knowing I have friends all around the world who share this passion to kick ass and know this: “Against the Grain. Thats where I’ll stay” -bad religion
Im 30 now dude. Im much more passive than when I was 20, or 16. Bottles to the Ground only applies on certain occasions now. To me punk, is in my soul, and will always be there. Because of criminal discrimination in this country regarding Tattoos, and a different looks to polo shirts and dress shirts, ive kept my cool. But ive kept a hoop in my nose to remind people I see in the streets, even at weddings or business meetings and other formal occasions that THIS MOTHERFUCKER IS A FREE SPIRIT.
Peace brother. I strongly recommend you hit up Costa Rica. You’ll find a FANTASTIC community there. Take care.
richie ramone
“I’ve met the man in the street and he’s a cunt.”
Sid Vicious
soy de tegucigalpa y tengo una banda ahi con influencia ramonera, y algo misfits he he contactame
Hola, gracias por tu email. I hope to be back in Honduras soon and this time I will visit tegucigalpa for sure. I’ll drop an email before I come in. Espero regreso en Honduras pronto y esta vez yo visito Tegucigalpa por seguro. Escribo tu antes visito. Gracias amigo.
Robert
Hey I am a Canadian, Ontario, born in Mississauga and raised in Brampton and reside in Oakville. I represent the Peel Crew and we come from areas that are neighbours of the Greater Toronto Area. We are a small community amongst plethora of cultures and different people.
Punk in Toronto is very much alive I don’t know too well of the status history, and shape of it in the past just that it has been strong for a long time.. along with the metal community although Toronto seems more like a Hip hop and punk city… and if not that Hipster and Indie in present day… I am a very accepting person with Music, you have to understand and I am picky aswell but i like to think I fancy an ecclectic range…
But I am only 19 and have been discovering and tripping into music and Punk and Hardcore was the route that enabled me to grow…
Now with this strange rise of My Peel Crew.. which for the most part is a bunch of Hipster Kids fascinated with American Hardcore and emulate it its pretty fucking exciting..
I am currently visiting San Pedro Sula and have been here for almost a month I left behind my band and we are to play our basement shows as soon as I get back so it was tuff to stop practice when we need it most. In San Pedro Sula is my Family who I never got the Pleasure of knowing The Caraccioli family is so big along with additional names with in the extended and is a real culture shock my knowledge of spanish is very little.. but this place fascinates me with its people of tyradition and little knowledge of whats outside their bubble.. It really makes me wanna piss them off with some Grindcore or start it slow with some Descendents. Any how My plans are stupid and big but I want to connect with any Punx with in this country I hope one day to open an underground venue and wake up all the kids my age to stop sucking the tube that the American world sends them and only follow their dicks rythms with the monotonous reggeton. Any way its kool that your an old school punk i ought to go to Costa Rica too I think it will help me on my destructive venture into Punk and Culture and Music.
sincerely Gianni Carcass.
hey if you wanna reach me I’d like to get a reply drop me a msg at http://www.facebook.com/lambtoaster thats my facebook
Hey Gianni,
I’ve been to Toronto (not for the punk scene however) and it’s a cool spot. I had a good time but did see the most brutal bar fight I think I’ve ever seen (not a good thing, but still, I’ve seen a lot of bar fights in my time). Thankfully I was NOT involved. I hope to get back there for the documentary and if so, lets hook up.
San Pedro Sula is great.. You should reach out to my buddy Rich from there… I’ll shoot you his email address and maybe you guys can hook up. He knows a lot about the punk scene in Honduras, Costa Rica and all of Central America.
So my family is honduran and i havent been there in years since i was like 12. my family from honduras has came alot to california where i reside throughout my teenage years but they always bitch about the music i listen to and how i wear tight and ripped clothes and well they almost put me in a looney bin for having a rainbow mohawk. i guess they never seen a girl like this. Now im 19 and i just got a plane ticket to go see my family over there for 6 weeks starting december but im still me. bright red hair with the ripped clothes. i was wondering if they were any punks out there or shows but apparently not, im going out to la ceiba where my family is from and my mom has already told me a billion times that i might get a lot of attention because i look ridiculous and that i should tone down. but once a punk always a punk..i say 🙂
hopefully ill just pack my ipod with all my tunes and hopefully thatll save me out there. maybe someone will spot me out that listens to punk. itd be cool.
Hi Ibis,
Honduras is great. When I went to La Ceiba I didn’t see any punks there.. only Richie from San Pedro Sula.. which I covered in this post
http://punkoutlaw.com/po09/2010/06/punk-til-i-die-a-lone-warrior-in-a-sea-of-mediocrity/
but I did get some emails from the capital.. that is where I think the punk scene is healthiest in Honduras. Congrats on being true to yourself… please report back to us on the punk scene if you find it when you return.. I’d like to know as I would like to get back there someday. It’s a beautiful country.
Safe travels!
Robert
Hey!
I’m a freelance writer from Canada, living in the States. I’m in Honduras now and am heading to San Pedro Sula. I want to write an article about Punk & Hip Hop in San Pedro Sula. Could you email me Richie’s email address? Or give him my Email? I’ll be there this weekend and would love to connect.
Thanks,
NJ
I emailed it to you. Have fun and let me know how it goes.
I am traveling across central america and this is the only punk rock information I have founf about Honduras. It would be nice if you could contact me on my email: usarasola@gmail.com
hey, just arrived in honduras, tegucigalpa. will be living and working here for a year. urgently need to get to know some like-minded people and places to go out to. could you pass on some of the contacts you made? xxx frk