"Frijolero" by Molotov

**Name of the song and link to a YouTube video:** “Frijolero” by Molotov

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iJMOBcPQyg&list=PL20AAD0E6ECBFF2FD&index=35

· **Name of musician(s)/ bio**: Molotov is a metal-rap group formed in Mexico City. The band was made up of 4 members during the production of “Frijolero:” Micky Huidobro, Tito Fuentes, Randy Ebright, and Paco Ayala. The  band rose to fame in a politically unstable time in Mexican history and often had to sell their records on the streets. However, as time went on, the band’s music gained acceptance among wider audiences than young Mexican teens. They made it big as a result of a talent scout listening to them when Molotov opened for Illya and the Valderramas. The group covers topics such as the American War in the Middle East and racist attitudes between people on both sides of the border. However, according to encyclopedia.com, “Their songs have a lighter side, too, Huidobro told *La Prensa San Diego.* "We don't want to write solely about social issues or only about politics, because we'd then become bored with ourselves.”

· **Approximate date song was produced:** February 2003

**· Location produced:** “Frijolero” was produced by Surco Records J.V. in Los Angeles, CA

**· Social ill/problem being protested:** One of the members of Molotov, Randy Ebright, who was born in the United States, was stopped at a U.S. airport. His daughter, who was a very, very young child at the time was inspected and interrogated by customs officials simply because she was Mexican. This inspired Ebright and the rest of the band to write a song about mistreatment of immigrants in the United States. Immigrants, especially those coming from Latin American countries such as Mexico and Venezuela, are mistreated and often turned away or imprisoned. According to the Detention Watch Network, “The average daily population of detained immigrants increased from approximately 5,000 in 1994, to 19,000 in 2001, and to over 50,000 in 2019.” We have a massive crisis on our hands. America was founded by immigrants. We were all once immigrants. It is our duty as American citizens and human beings to help those in need. Our nation dies the day people stop wanting to pursue a better life here. A second issue being protested here is the lucrative for-profit warmongering that has taken hold in many countries all over the world, especially in the United States. This trend has its roots all the way back in the mid-20th century: World War 2. People realized that war can be used to turn a profit through making weapons, securing government contracts, and exploiting foreign resources or taking land from defeated nations. The cost of this warmongering is immense numbers of human lives, numbering in the hundreds of thousands. Molotov states that this has to end if we want to keep our species alive. The only people that want to be at war are businesses that thrive off of human suffering and weapons dealers. It is in our best interest to avoid war at all costs.

**· Sample of the most compelling lyrics:**

‘Y aunque exista algún respeto

Y no metamos las narices

Nunca inflamos la moneda

Haciendo guerra a otros países” “Now why don't you look down

To where your feet is planted

That U.S. soil that makes you take sh\*t for granted

If not for Santa Ana, just to let you know

That where your feet are planted would be Mexico”

· **Relevance of the words and phrases selected: is the song convincing in its message? Explain why you think so in detail:** In the first verse selected, the song states that:  “we (Mexican citizens) don't inflate the currency of other countries or make money off of war". The war economy is arguably the most important reason the United States is so relevant today. During World War 2, the behemoth that is American industrial production was awakened. Without it and the Lend-Lease Program, the Soviet Union would have lost its war against Nazi Germany and Europe would have been doomed to Fascist rule until the free world decided to retaliate. World War 2 lifted the American people, and all people in general, out of the Depression. In addition, World War 2 also made it so that the United States would define the rules of trade for decades to come because the US dollar was the only stable currency after the rest of the world and economies were ravaged. The United States utilized this advantage through the formation of the United Nations and used its dollars to reform Western Europe, Asia, and the Pacific in the American image. American inventions and ideas spread throughout the world and, for the most part, made a positive impact on the people they touched.  However, “Frijolero” points out that the spread of American culture also has negative effects on other countries and cultures. The American war machine’s progress in the Middle East and elsewhere has slowed and has caused the deaths of thousands of people, civilians included. The second verse we selected means that some of the land close to the Mexican border, Texas included, were once a part of Mexico until it was given to the US after the end of the Mexican-American War. The song is saying that some Americans seem to ignore some aspects of the history of interactions between the US and Mexico. They also seem to take their freedom for granted. The band has witnessed terrible corruption and turmoil in their country and are angry that Americans take the blessings that they are given for granted.

· **Significance of the song in history:** This song was released during a time of great financial and political crisis in Mexico. Corruption is rampant and the economy is failing. Mexicans are justifiably angry with their government and with the American government that they feel is also to blame for the turmoil and unrest. The lyrics of the piece exemplify this extreme feeling of being unsatisfied and fed up with politicians’ bull. In addition, this song was released only two years after 9/11 and the band members are witnessing US violations of sovereignty of foreign governments as a result of the War on Terror. The late 1990s and early 2000s was hard on many people and it shows in this piece of music.

· **Contemporary connections:** “Frijolero” shares connections with many artists that are produced by Surco Records. Artists such as Juanes and La Vela Puerca share the same genre as Molotov which is a common theme with the artist, but most are not as ‘explicit’ and share the same message. An early member of the band and one of its founders, Jay de la Cueva, became an actor after his exit from the band in 1995, starring in movies such as “Aki Estamos.”

· **Trivia related to the events, people, and places:** One of Molotov’s songs, “Apocalypsh\*t” was used in the pilot of the popular TV show “Breaking Bad.” The video for “Frijolero” lashed out at hatred between Mexicans and White Americans in addition to American handling of foreign affairs. This song was written post-9/11 and the extremely turbulent state of American affairs has affected its neighbors, too. The band is a lot like its namesake, the Molotov cocktail bomb. It combines many different components and styles and “exploded” onto the music scene.

**· The reasons you selected this song and/or musician:** After one of our group members suggested this song because of his prior enjoyment of and experience with Molotov’s music. We listened to it and decided that it brought up problems that some of us care about and have prior experience with. For example, another one of our group members had played video games such as “Metal Gear Rising” that talked about the complex issue that is the war economy. In addition, we thought it was a song that we all enjoyed listening to.

**· External links**

https://fronterasdesk.org/content/1058526/mexican-musicians-speak-loud-about-struggles-migrants-face

https://www.detentionwatchnetwork.org/issues/detention-101#:~:text=The%20average%20daily%20population%20of,as%20500%2C000%20immigrants%20each%20year.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molotov\_(band)

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/molotov-mn0000487534/biography

Yellow Group- Davis Barnett, Francisco Aleman, Daiji Bertrand, Alvaro Alvarez, Alexander Mendez