5 Questions with ... Out of Control Army

Prominent Mexican ska band, Out Of Control Army, is currently enjoying Reggae Month in Jamaica. Their mission to the island includes recording an album and performing for the very first time at the Bob Marley Birthday Tribute concert, which takes place tonight at Emancipation Park in New Kingston. Formed by José Olan, Out Of Control Army is known for its “high-energy 2-Tone sound, large horn section, and collaborations with international ska artistes”. Olan told The Gleaner on Wednesday, while they were enjoying JaRIA’s weekly Reggae Month concert, that ska is really popular in Latin America and many main stream bands do a mix of various types of ska.

“Last month, we did a show in Mexico City with 80,000 people. It’s really cool to see that many people jumping up and dancing to ska. The reason for our travel to Jamaica is to show all the ska fans the land of ska. Our fans are excited to learn about ska. We have a visit to the Alpha Boys School and we are really excited. In Mexico we have maybe 200 ska bands .... ska punk, Latin ska, we have the ska revival playing the 60 ska, 50s. Now is a good moment for the ska in Latin America ... Chile, Argentina, Colombia,” Olan shared.

Based in Mexico City, Out Of Control Army has become staples in the Latin ska scene and gained widespread attention for their ska rework of the Dragon Ball GT theme. With five albums already in their catalogue, the group is particularly looking forward to recording their sixth, which will be their first album recorded in Jamaica.

“This is the most important album. It will be recorded in Jamaica at Bob Marley’s Tuff Gong studio. This is my third time in Jamaica, but the first time with all my friends ... there are 12 of us. My friends have been working very hard practising their instruments for this moment. We have 25 years playing ska for this moment,” Olan stated.

Out Of Control Army has released music featuring collaborations with artistes, such Neville Staple (The Specials), Oreskaband, King Hammond, and others. Known for fiery, energetic live shows and have performed at significant venues like Mexico City’s Zócalo. They are the special guests for this week’s 5 Questions With ... feature.

1. How did you decide on the name and how does it reflect in your performances?

The name reflects our collective energy giving an “out of control” vibe to our live performances. We pride ourselves in carrying the mantle and honouring our love for ska music from every generation.

2. Do you do traditional ska only and how does you stay relevant on the Ska scene?

We play a little bit of every wave of ska and weave it into our culture giving a sound that’s both modern and nostalgic. We stay relevant by continuously performing and also reaching New crowds to expand our fan base and spread the Word of our band.

3. Why do you think ska is more popular now in Mexico than anywhere else in the world?

More so because ska music is weaved into our cultural and even political identity. There are songs that people can relate to that talk about real issues such as poverty and corruption but also about love and friendship and all of those are things that form a foundation in our Latino community. It’s easier to have a solid fan base given those factors.

4. How important is this trip to Jamaica knowing that Ska has its roots here?

We are very honoured and excited to be given this opportunity. We are working towards recording an album and performing.

5. What can fans expect from you at the Bob Marley concert and are you excited to perform at the event?

Yes, we very much are excited and we are happy to represent the ska sound. We are told ska isn’t as popular here as before and ska bands are far and few in between so this is such a treat.

BRAWTA: You have performed on stages with international acts and have toured the US. What is the biggest difference between playing for a Mexican audience versus an international audience?

Mexico is full of youth and the energy is off the walls. Every time we play international, we always find a tight community of fans that genuinely love the music and that excites us as well. We are grateful for our friend, Susana Audelo for being the promoter and helping to connect Mexico and Jamaica in a cultural level. She was always helping out reggae bands in Mexico and she finally took a chance on a ska band.

yasmine.peru@gleanerjm.com