Hey guys, I'm going to interview Ricky about Mucho Wednesdays.
Here we go.
Alright Ricky, so how did Mucho Wednesdays begin?
What was your inspiration and what got you to want to start Mucho Wednesdays here at Lesita?
Very simply, it was me, Landro Moe and Marjorie Garcia.
We had been promoting another party we were doing called Magnet.
And every time we drove around all night, all we listened to was Latin Pop.
And it just was like light bulb.
And there isn't anywhere to listen to Latin Pop all night.
And it kind of started with that.
Nice.
And it also started here at Lesita.
So why don't you come in with me.
Okay.
I'm bringing the entire world.
Yeah.
Come check it out.
Woo.
Alright, here we go.
Okay, so you decided to come here?
Well, I just happened to start being assistant manager here at Lesita just by happenstance.
And Carl Hopkins, the owner, we had had conversations about Wednesday nights not having anything going on.
We couldn't fill it.
So I thought it occurred to me, hey, this would be a good opportunity to have our own Latin Pop party.
Hi.
Hi.
My name is Ricky.
My name is Ricky Garay.
And I am here.
Welcome to the first installment of the Mucho Update.
We have the distant pleasure.
Is that what it's called?
The Mucho Update.
The Mucho Update, what is that?
It is a new blog series that we're doing for the Salcido Slat.
Thank you to Paul Salcido for asking us to be a part of this really great blog.
It was created, which is just doing so well.
And we're here with Bilalidea.
It's welcome.
Hello.
Welcome, welcome, welcome.
So I guess Paul's advice was to start with Mucho.
And I think...
The story of Mucho.
The story of Mucho, a little brief history, like how it started, what we're up to.
We've been here for almost two years in July.
But Bilalides, how did you hear about Mucho Wednesdays?
Well, let's see.
I used to come here for a punky radio party, which is every Friday night.
At la cita.
In August, I think, of 2007, which is the summer that you guys started.
I saw a big poster for it.
And it said Mucho Wednesdays.
Puro Bob en Español.
And I freaked out.
I was like, finally, a club that'll play all the music I like that I listen to in my room,
you know, and dance around, you know, with.
So I saw the flyer and I didn't really get around to, you know, coming to the nights
until pretty much until maybe like three or four months after that.
And, you know, once I came here, I think for the day before Thanksgiving,
the after Sola Estadio party.
And it was great.
I just, I had so much fun.
And it kind of reminded me of like the basically what it what it made me feel was like,
not just like nostalgia for like the way dance clubs are in Chile,
which is where I'm from and where I grew up.
But it was, it's just like from having, you know,
toured a lot with my old band, was banded and having been into Mexico and growing up in Chile
and going to all these different cities all over the U.S.
I felt like there was something, you know, there was definitely something missing.
There was something like what Mucho Winsons has brought to the table.
And it was like, I remember I was on that dance floor and I was like,
this is exactly what was missing.
At least in my life.
Mucho, let's get to the nitty-gritty.
Let's talk to Mr. Don Diaz.
Mr. Don Diaz.
Raul, 15 minutos, Raul.
Okay.
Tell us about this amazing new album that you did and how it started.
I'm okay.
Well, basically, I guess I'll just tell you like why I wanted to take the music here.
Because a big part of what Mucho Winsons did for me was kind of get over my heartbreak of my band, you know.
And I would just come here and just kind of like sweat it off and dance all night.
And feel the support from the community that, you know, it was...
That they love to be loved.
That, you know, that I could keep making music and, you know, to just keep going.
I was working with some friends of mine that they're a dub duo.
And we were going to come out with one of the songs that we worked on on vinyl.
And I thought, you know, why don't we do it at, you know, let's see that at Mucho Winsons.
You know, why don't we do it, you know, why don't we do it here.
And just like, it's already a dance party happening.
I just wanted to perform two songs and just, you know, and give out the record, give out the vinyl.
And so I was like, well, why don't we just do it.
And I, you know, got to touch with you guys if it happened.
It's a great time in LA right now.
When you came, when you approached us, I don't feel like there was this pool of bands to pull from really.
We're having a hard time.
I don't know, it's just been really blossoming the last year.
But we've had, we've had Baba Luka just had a great show on Wednesday.
We've had Palenca Soul Tribe, Torino, just some great funky pop stuff.
Marcelo Cuny from New York, Nakateri, Mucho Amor.
Cunyam Brody, I'm totally spacing.
Uli and the Gringos, Santa Cecilia, Domingo 7, Monareta from Colombia, a really great new band.
So you've been, you know, bombarded by bands that want to play here.
Thanks, thanks in large part to you.
Well, I think also it's because of the hard work that you guys have put into Mucho Wednesdays.
You know, it's not just like slapping up a flyer and saying that, you know, music's going to be playing every Wednesday.
You know, I think a lot has to do with how detail oriented you guys are,
which really goes a long way when you're trying to make, should happen.
And they know how to DJ.
It's like the DJs that you have are great.
You know, they each have their own style.
And, you know, you're on the dance for the whole four hours.
I will say that my DJs will take the Pepsi Challenge.
And I'm a big fan, a big fan of music and likewise with my DJs, the Mucho Wednesday DJs, not my DJs,
but I'm big fans of theirs.
Noir, frankly of Holt, Bacharo, First Lady of Mucho, and myself, Pizzu, when I DJ.
But I'm huge fans of theirs and they are great DJs.
And I think that's a big, that's a huge element that was missing.
I think there's a whole generation of people who didn't grow up around people with DJ.
And it's thrown around like, you know, but I'm very proud of you.
No, they know what they're doing.
You heard it right here from Bilal.
So, striking out on your own, doing your first solo album, this was a big deal.
Was it, was this an obvious choice, or did you really, was it like a dilemma?
No, no, it was totally, like, it just happened naturally, which was great, you know.
Yeah, very, very organic actually, to the point where all of a sudden I was like,
oh, hey, I'm making these, I'm making a record.
Which, I have to say the energy of this album, this whole album is a huge surprise.
If you haven't gotten it, you need to go get yourself a copy of this album.
It is exquisite, it is amazing.
And again, talk about details, look at that album cover.
Hand sewn by her own hands, okay.
We only made a thousand of those.
See, that's how we get it.
And now it's going to go out digitally in a couple of weeks.
April 14th is the digital release of her new album, so you better go get it, or I'll punch you down.
The details on this album are amazing.
There's so much instrumentation and such a different sound.
Was it, did it just kind of come together, or did you say, I'm going to make a different sound?
No, it just happened.
I swear, it just did.
It's just how it is when you are making things, you know.
Things just start to, when you put yourself out there and put yourself to work on something, you know.
All of a sudden, you know, when that intention is positive and is there,
I think what starts to happen is things start to just kind of fall in your lap, you know.
I don't know if it's just me, but I feel like there's this new wave of Latin pop, open espanol,
just this new wave that's coming forever.
You were Mexico, Chile, and Latin.
Is it just me, or would you agree?
I agree.
Is it really, is this a really different time right now?
Oh yeah, I agree, I agree.
I think, gosh, I just went to Chile in January, three months ago,
and there were so many new artists that I hadn't heard of, and I was blown away by them.
I was just like, really good music, really good, talented musicians.
The thing is that, you know, now in Latin America, there's a little more room for people to get the support,
you know, these bands to get support, and to support people that are making new music.
When is the next time that LA can get to see a live performance from Ilar Villas?
Well, funny you asked.
Watch that you say?
Tell me more, Miss Pilar.
I'll be performing at Mucha Wednesdays.
What?
In May, as if you didn't know.
I'm still excited.
May 20th, 27th, and June 3rd.
I'll be performing here three Wednesdays in a row,
and we'll be celebrating the digital release of the record,
and we're going to have some, you know, we're going to have some guest musicians,
and it's going to be fun, we're going to have the live visuals,
and we're going to have some giveaways.
It's just going to be, you know, we're going to make it really fun.
Do not miss it if you're in the LA area.
She gave you the dates.
If you want to see more of Villas, you can go to MySpace.com,
or you go to Facebook, and just type in Villas Diaz,
and you can become her friend, and you can just keep up on her dates and her performances.
But on behalf of Mucha Wednesdays,
thank you so much for being the first person at Grace Art Stage.
Thank you for being our first guest on the Mucho Update.
It's going to be a great summer.
If you want to know more about Mucho Wednesdays,
go to MySpace.com, backslash, Mucho Party, one word,
or just go Mucho Music on Facebook.
We're going to throw it back to Paul in the Saucido Slant now.
Yeah, back to Austin, Texas.
Back to Austin, Texas, back to headquarters.
It's a pleasure, and we'll definitely see you guys next time, okay?
Bye!
