{"id":3962,"date":"2012-05-08T22:26:26","date_gmt":"2012-05-09T02:26:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/punkoutlaw.com\/po09\/?p=3962"},"modified":"2012-05-09T13:38:31","modified_gmt":"2012-05-09T17:38:31","slug":"viva-las-vegas-latinos-in-rockabilly-full-interviews","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/punkoutlawblog.com\/2012\/05\/viva-las-vegas-latinos-in-rockabilly-full-interviews\/","title":{"rendered":"Viva Las Vegas “Latinos in Rockabilly” Full Interviews"},"content":{"rendered":"

Our good buddies at Remezcla<\/a><\/strong> just published an article we wrote about Viva Las Vegas <\/a><\/strong>and the phenomena of Rockabilly’s resurgance and what role American Latinos may have played. It’s highly entertaining and informative if we say so ourselves \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

You can check it out HERE!\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

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If you dig it, please says so and share<\/p>\n

and if you don’t then “go to hell!”… just joking.. say so… we can take it, but be gentle please.<\/p>\n

Below you will find the complete, uncensored and “RAW” video interviews from Viva Las Vegas<\/strong><\/em> <\/a>which helped to comprise the article. Special thanks to DJ Del Villareal, DJ Rockin Vic, Victoria Inez Rivera and Boom Boom L’Roux for their participation.<\/p>\n

DJ DEL VILLAREAL\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

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DJ Del Villareal<\/p><\/div>\n

DJ Del Villareal is a Mexican American hailing from the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan and host of Motorbilly Radio<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, a popular online rockabilly radio station. \u00a0DJ Del got into rockabilly by hitting some of the local weekenders in the Midwest. Not surprisingly for a DJ perhaps, music was his entry point and a facet of the culture he feels is most important. Here is DJ Del Vilareal’s complete interview with Punk Outlaw.<\/p>\n

1)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0WHAT IS YOUR ETHNIC & GEOGRAPHICAL BACKGROUND?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0I’m what I like to call “hispanic” or Mexican-American. My mother is 100% Mexican (both her parents were from Mexico and she was born in Texas) and my father is mainly French-Canadian (there’s actually some Native American in his gene pool -we think Chippewa). I was born in the small town of Bay City, MI.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a02)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0WHAT IS MOTORBILLY RADIO?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong>Motorbilly Radio is my online rockabilly music radio station, hosted by Live365. The name “Motorbilly” comes from a combination of the words “Motor City” (I began DJing at clubs & shows primarily in Metro Detroit) and “Rock-A-Billy” -the best kind of American rockin’ music! I’m happy and proud to say that Motorbilly Radio is the top rated rockabilly station on Live365, with over 10,000 regular listeners and 1,100 + “favorite station” selections. We’re a deep mix of classic & contemporary rockin’ music, with the emphasis on the more traditional side of rockabilly music.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a03)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0HOW DID YOU GET INTO ROCKABILLY CULTURE?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I think I’ve always been into the culture, but didn’t really know much about it until I first started going to shows in Detroit and eventually, my first “weekend” events; The Indiana “Rockabilly Rebel” weekenders and the NJ “We Wanna Boogie” festival back in the mid 1990’s. I admired the looks, styles and attitude of the people I befriended and eventually, I just fell into it! The music was (and still is) the main entry point for the rockabilly scene and I absorbed and ingested more and more of the modern day rockabilly artists as they toured and recorded. Thanks (blame?) need to go to the Europeans for keeping the music scene alive during the 60’s through the 80’s and for the treasure trove of reissue albums that have steadily been imported back into the USA.<\/em><\/p>\n

4)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0WHY DO YOU THINK SO MANY LATINOS GRAVITATE TO ROCKABILLY CULTURE?<\/strong><\/p>\n

My own opinion is that many of the California Latino families (I’ve heard the term “taco-billies” used -it’s kinda funny to me, but probably a tad racist…!) grew up exposed to and enjoying the sounds of honking Rhythm & Blues music through the 40’s and early 50’s as well as smooth\/romantic DooWop\/Early Soul into the 50’s and 60’s, and so many may be naturally predisposed to 1950’s American music and culture. Add to the mix the flashy retro fashions and the vintage car culture scene (which crosses over with the rockabilly scene) and I think you’ve got an attractive mix of the past and present, especially with so many excellent Mexican American rockin’ acts performing and recording today (Omar Romero & The String Poppers, Pep Torres, The Side-Wynders, Luis & The Wildfires, The Rhythm Shakers, etc.)<\/em><\/p>\n

5)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0DO YOU FIND IT SURPRISING THAT WHAT MANY\u00a0PERCEIVE\u00a0AS A SOUTHERN, BLACK\/WHITE REDNECK CULTURE IS EMBRACED BY LATINOS?<\/strong><\/p>\n

There’s a Western Americana aspect to the culture that may resonate here as well. I think that there’s always been a similarity between the Latino subculture and the African American subculture (both have been institutionally marginalized, romanticized and relegated as “outside” the mainstream) and you’ll see Latinos pick and choose the best aspects from both of these cultures. You may not see Confederate Rebel flags flying, but Latinos will often emulate the hair styles, the sexier & coolest clothing, partner dancing, traditional tattoo patterns, vintage motorcycle & more styled period cars and hot rods -and they\/we will always do it well!<\/em><\/p>\n

6)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0DO YOU SEE THE\u00a0PHENOMENA\u00a0OF LATINOS IN ROCKABILLY CONTINUING TO GROW?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I think so. With so much of the US “rockabilly scene” centered in & around California and the American South West (Texas, too!), it’s bound to just grow and grow. It’s practically a geographical inevitability! And as Latino performers continue to rise in popularity and cross over into different musical territories (I can see WILD recording artist Gizzelle gaining fans outside of the retro “roots” audience, for example), you’ll have more new converts and perhaps even older fans migrating back into rockabilly.<\/em><\/p>\n

7)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0WHATS YOUR SENSE OF ROCKABILLY \u00a0CULTURE DOWN IN LATIN AMERICA? IS IT BIG OR GETTING BIGGER?<\/strong><\/p>\n

My initial observation is that it will become bigger. It’s hard for me to say how big it is at the moment, but there are definitely exciting new bands making a lot of noise South of the border (Los Benders, Mystery Trio and Los Dorados to name a few) and are starting to attract fans here in America as well as abroad. I hope things will get bigger! As technology reaches further and connects fans with favorite acts, I can see the more dedicated and talented acts easily crossing the Equator and perhaps opening up channels & venues for American or Northern bands to migrate South! It’s definitely and exciting time!<\/em><\/p>\n

8)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0DO YOU THINK THE ROCKABILLY SCENES IN THE U.S. WOULD BE AS VIBRANT AS IT IS WITHOUT LATINOS IN THE SCENE?<\/strong><\/p>\n

No! Not at all! I’ve known and seen a strong, vibrant Latino-billy presence in the U.S. scene since I first became involved more than 15 years ago. So many of the best DJ’s in our rockin’ scene are of Latino origin, I can’t imagine how things would be without them! DJ’s Topper, Rockin’ Vic, Doo Wop Edgar, Caveman Leo, Jive Bomber and Wine-O are big influences on dance floors and record hops and I like to think that my regular record hops and radio programs have helped inform the current and next wave of rockabilly fans (and maybe artists!). We’re here, we love the scene and I can’t see us leaving anytime soon!!<\/em><\/p>\n

9)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0WHAT ARE THE BIG POCKETS OF ROCKABILLY CULTURE?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0Hmmmmm…. obviously California, up and down. Texas: Austin, Fort Worth and Dallas come to mind. New York and the nearby New Jersey areas. England has always had a rather vibrant scene and lately Paris, France is on the rise. Berlin, Germany. Spain has some of the world’s best festivals these days as well. I think South America, in particular Brazil, will soon be making more rockin’ noise as well!<\/em><\/p>\n

10)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP OF PSYCHOBILLY WITH ROCKABILLY? ARE THEY RELATED SCENES OR DO YOU SEE THEM AS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT?<\/strong><\/p>\n

There’s a definite connection, but in my opinion, it’s a younger and more of a “punk”-y connection (the ‘outlaw’ spirit, the louder, brash and faster rhythms are similar in some aspects). \u00a0Crossover bands like the Reverend Horton Heat, Three Bad Jacks and the Chop Tops spring to mind as closer connections. Some people say that rockabilly is the punk rock retirement plan (maybe it’s the psychobilly retirement plan, too!) and with some mediocre bands, I guess the argument can be made that psychobilly music is just sped up rockabilly music. It’s not my favorite of the “sub-billy” genres, but there are some great bands out there. Done well, it can be just as entertaining as traditional styles of music to me<\/em><\/p>\n

VICTORIA INEZ RIVERA \u00a0\/\u00a0<\/strong>BLOGGGER AND VINTAGE ENTHUSIAST<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Blogger & Vintage Enthusiast Victoria Rivera @ VLV<\/p><\/div>\n<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n

Victoria Inez Rivera is from East LA and a self-described \u201cvoluptuous vintage Mexican gal\u201d<\/em>\u00a0who writes and publishes a vintage inspired blog at\u00a0www.VivaVictoriaVintage.blogspot.com<\/a>\u00a0which covers everything from upcoming area events to her take on vintage fashion and the vintage lifestyle (which covers more than just clothing by the way).<\/p>\n

View her raw video interview below:<\/p>\n