Calo’s Lengua De Hoy brings rap and hip-hop to Mexico in the ’90s
In the ’90s, there was no other artist or group like Calo. One lead singer who won’t take off his glasses, two sisters that can actually sing, and two break-dancing backups; you have Calo. Hailing from Mexico, the five members decided to bring rap and hip-hop to the music scene in Mexico.
Their music wasn’t urban like the sounds you hear today. It was more appealing to 80’s clubs, but the pop fans loved it. Calo brought a style of music that was geared toward underground or street kids, to mainstream Top 40 radio. Both songs, “No Puedo Mas” and “Capitan” were hits on the pop charts alongside, Timbiriche, Thalia, and other teen pop stars.
From the album, Lengua De Hoy, my favorite tracks were the standard favorites. I think my favorites tend to be “Mi Cabeza Me Da Vueltas” and “No Lo Puedes Demostrar”. But, the most noteworthy song is by far, “Sintiendo Desde El Alma.” The song is a bit slower but has a terrific beat to it. Honestly, I don’t even think you can tell it is 26 years old.
26 years later, Calo Lengua De Hoy still feels fresh and with terrific beats for great music
Now realizing that this album is 26 years old may freak a lot of us out, and maybe a few members of the group too. It doesn’t tell music lovers that Calo’s music has a lasting appeal to it. Much of the music from that era does feel dated. During this era, Mexico was about 10 years behind the US with its music. This might be why it took so long for Latin artists to have such a huge presence in the states.
Now we are the same playing field and with Calo’s comeback, it will be interesting to see how the band will stand up to the music of today. The group disbanded in 1999 but reunited briefly in 2007 for an album that lacked much support from their label. This past month, the members of Calo signed a deal with Bobo Producciones to make a formal comeback. The original members are returning, minus Andres Castillo. In his place, there is a new guy in town. His name is Cesar. I can’t wait to see how he meshes with Claudio, Maya, Maria, and Gerardo.
Follow Calo on Twitter at @GrupoCaloMX, along with members, @Maya_Karunna @yartooficial @MariaKarunna
Since that day, I have been study Latin pop and rock music and have become a Latin pop music historian through the publishing of articles, fanzine, and websites. My goal is to teach people about Latin pop music and the history behind it with my website, Siempre En Domingo.
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