"This band could have only formed around Miami," says Locos Por Juana guitarist Marc Kondrat. The ensemble's ethnic diversity is a reflection of that international city. In addition to South Florida, Locos Por Juana proudly reps Colombia, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Argentina. The varied backgrounds in this 10-piece outfit have yielded a singular take on funk that earned the band's sophomore 2005 release, Musica Pa'l Pueblo a Latin Grammy nomination. Headliners for Creative Loafing's Sensory Overload bash Saturday, Locos Por Juana melds the Colombian folk-dance music Cumbia with reggae, a horn section that swings from Buena Vista-esque balladry to James Brown-style R&B and the contemporary pop/hip-hop sounds these 20somethings heard while growing up near the party mecca of South Beach. After building loyal followings across South Florida, the West Coast, Puerto Rico and college towns nationwide, Locos Por Juana appears primed for breakout success — at least in the Spanish-speaking world. The band's major label debut, La Verdad, drops May 13 and will be distributed internationally by Universal Music Group.
"We've been on the road touring like crazy but haven't had that support in stores and online," Kondrat says. "Now, for the first time in seven years, we're hoping to get that."
Kondrat speaks from his home/recording studio in Kendall. The Miami-Dade County city hosts a significant Colombian-American population, of which Kondrat, the only person in Locos Por Juana born in the U.S., is a member. The bandmates met at nearby Miami Sunset Senior High School, from which most of them graduated in '98. They bonded over break dancing and a shared appreciation for music ranging from rock and jazz to traditional Latin American sounds.
"We're all like brothers, more than just friends, we're totally connected," Kondrat says. "Miami is such an international city. It's not like New York, Chicago or Los Angeles where different neighborhoods [and people of dissimilar ethnicities] don't mix. Our band's diversity reflects Miami."
Most of Locos Por Juana's members have been friends and bandmates since they were 18 and 19 years old. For nearly a decade, they have spent countless hours rehearsing and touring the country in cramped quarters.
"Ten dudes in a van," Kondrat says with a laugh. "It's cool, though, because we all love music. Everyone takes turn as DJ. We play everything from Justin Timberlake to reggaeton to Bob Marley."
Locos Por Juana now travels in a rented RV with roadies. They can afford hotel rooms and decent meals. But that wasn't always the case.
"Those first trips to New York City were tight," Kondrat says. "That's when we knew we'd continue as a band. If we didn't kill each other under those conditions, we could handle anything. It was good schooling for us."
Every member of Locos Por Juana speaks fluent English, but lead vocalist Itagui sings in Spanish. Despite the language barrier, the band has pockets of fans all over the U.S., thanks to campus tours and to their festive music, which manages to rock student bodies whether or not they understand the lyrics.
"That's how we got into Tampa," Kondrat explains. "We played USF, and the students there brought us back. It's cool. We're always making connections and keep returning to places like the University of Wisconsin. We're a Latin band, sing only Spanish with little bit of Spanglish, and have fans in Wisconsin and all these other cities you wouldn't expect. The road is real important to us. Our lead singer reacts with the crowd, and tries to make people feel happy. We're a high-energy band. If we need to bring the tempo down a little, we play some 'one-drop' [classic] reggae."
The song that has the most asses shaking these days at Locos Por Juana shows is "La Nalga," which literally translates to "the buttock." It will likely be the first single off the band's upcoming album, La Verdad.
"It's our booty song," Kondrat says with a sheepish laugh. "It's a song to dance to."
He's quick to point out that the band also explores serious subject matter on the new disc. The song "Migrante" tackles the hot-button issue of undocumented workers and was inspired by a bad experience on the road.
"We were on our way to L.A. and got pulled over by immigration [enforcement agents] in New Mexico," Kondrat says. "They saw us, and even though we did nothing, their first reaction was not nice. It really made us feel like, 'Oh, man, I'm still an immigrant.' It's a hard experience. It really hits home."
On balance, though, Locos Por Juana's relatively new countrymen have warmly welcomed the band members. Creating a celebratory atmosphere can endear you to even the most xenophobic. "As musicians, we have an important role to send a message," Kondrat says. "We don't want to preach, though — just make all people feel good."
This article appears in Mar 26 – Apr 1, 2008.
